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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674963">A Moment of Happiness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sliceofpineapple/pseuds/sliceofpineapple'>sliceofpineapple</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Episode: s15e18 Despair, Episode: s15e18 Despair - Castiel's Confession Scene, Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Episode: s15e20 Carry On, Fix-It, Love Confessions, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:08:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sliceofpineapple/pseuds/sliceofpineapple</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fix-it for Supernatural S15E18-20</p><p>In an instant, Dean realised what Cas was doing. They had been played by God, by Death, and now Cas was sacrificing himself to save Dean, to give them a shot at defeating God.<br/>There was no time for thinking, but frankly there was no need to think. Dean couldn’t fathom his story ending without Cas in the picture, and he'd never been as certain about anything in his life. So as the Empty swallowed Billie and circled Cas, Dean jumped up and threw himself at the angel, sending them both flying to the ground.</p><p>And then Dean Winchester punched Castiel.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel &amp; Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>394</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Revelation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you for dropping by! I present to you my fix-it for the finale (aka the three last episodes).<br/>This certainly isn't my first time writing a fic, but it's my first time sharing one with the world, so I really hope you'll like it!<br/>I have almost the whole story written and done. By next week it should all be uploaded :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean was angry with himself. Angry with himself for ever allowing them to fall into another trap. They were so close –<em> so close </em>– and Dean just had to make a thoughtless, reckless, <em>stupid </em>decision. Cas had managed to stall the inevitable, but that door wasn't going to hold forever. Like everything else in his life, every time he came palpably close to victory, something would go wrong and derail <em>everything</em>. This time wasn’t going to be any different.</p><p>"Cas," Dean said. "Wh- when she comes through that door…" He physically wasn't able to finish the sentence. What was he supposed to say?</p><p>Dean flinched as another <em>bang </em>from the door accompanied the thuds of his rapidly pulsating heart. There was nothing left to say. Nothing he <em>could </em>say would change the fact that in a matter of minutes, his life would be over. “Cas. Go. You need to warn Sam and Jack. I can stall Billie. I can buy you enough of time–”</p><p>“Dean, don’t be ridiculous.”</p><p>“<em>Cas</em>, we can’t both die.”</p><p>“I won’t leave you here, Dean,” Cas said, breathing heavily as he looked around the room for a solution that didn’t exist. “I <em>can’t </em>leave you here.”</p><p>“If you zap us both, Billie will follow. You know that.” With panicked movements, Dean had already begun patting his pockets for his phone. He found it in the left one. Fingers shaking so much he could barely unlock the phone, Dean somehow still managed to hit the speed dial. “What’s more important – me or defeating God? Cas, <em>go </em>. <em>Now </em>.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ring… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“There has to be another way,” Cas muttered. “There <em>has</em> to be another way.”</p><p>“You’re the stupidest son of a bitch in the universe, Cas,” Dean almost yelled. “We have to defeat God. That’s our <em>only goal</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ring… </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Sam, come on, pick up, </em>Dean begged in his mind. <em>I just need </em>one <em>person to do what I tell them to. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ring… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“You listen to me, Cas. When Death busts through that door you <em>run </em>, okay? It’s <em>non-negotiable</em>.”</p><p>“I’m working on a plan,” Cas simply answered.</p><p>“What plan?” Dean asked as he glanced at Cas scanning the bookshelves.</p><p>“I– I don’t know.”</p><p>Dean rolled his eyes. <em>Come on come on come on, Sam, please pick up. Just this one time please pick up. </em>He balled the hand that wasn’t holding the phone into a tight fist. <em>Please pick up. </em>Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Cas turn around at a particularly loud <em>bang </em>from the door. Dean felt his calm slip away little by little and forced himself to take a deep breath. <em>Calm down</em>.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Ring… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Sam, what’s taking you so– </em>
</p><p>“Hey, Dean. You got her?”</p><p>“Sammy, listen. It’s not Death. It’s God.”</p><p>“What? <em>God</em>?” Dean could hear the confusion in Sam's voice.</p><p>“Yes. God is killing everyone off. Look, Sam, I don’t have much ti–”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bang </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Dean, what was that?”</p><p>“That was Billie. She’s dying. Look, Sammy, in case I don’t get to see you again I just want you to know that…” Dean trailed off as Cas walked up to him.</p><p>“Hello, Sam,” Cas said as he leaned in and spoke into the phone. “This is Cas. Don’t mind what Dean said. He will see you shortly.”</p><p>“Hey–” Dean protested when Cas determinedly yanked the phone from his hand and hung up. “Wh– Cas what was that for? I need Sam to know that in–”</p><p>“No you don’t,” Cas interrupted, intense eyes filled with resolve. “I think I– There might be another way.”</p><p>“Another way?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Okay, I'm listening," Dean said with caution, not knowing what to expect. As far as he knew, nothing in this room could be of use when <em>Death </em>was on the doorstep.</p><p>"I have a feeling you won't like it… for either one of two reasons, but…" Cas turned around and walked a couple of steps away from Dean, gaze turning up towards the ceiling as if he could see past the layers of construction and into the freedom beyond. “When Jack was dying, I… I made a deal with the Empty to save him.”</p><p>“You <em>what</em>?” Dean exclaimed, for he knew how deals always ended. <em>Badly</em>.</p><p>"I made a deal. The… the price was my life. When I experienced a moment of true happiness, the Empty would be summoned and it would take me forever." </p><p>“What the hell, dude? How long have you been keeping this from me?” Dean felt shock, anger, and confusion all morphing together. His mind was battling between anger, with Cas having lied to him, and confusion, because he couldn't possibly figure out where Cas was going with this. “Wh– why are you telling me this now?” </p><p>“I always wondered…” Cas said as he turned around, pointedly ignoring Dean’s question. “Ever since I took that burden – that curse – I <em>wondered </em>what it could be, what– what my true happiness could even look like.” He let out a shaky breath. “I never found an answer, because the one thing I want…” He took a step towards Dean, tears filling his eyes as he broke a smile. “The one thing I want is something I know I can't have. But I think I know now… Happiness isn't in the <em>having </em>– it's in just <em>being</em>. It's in just <em>saying </em>it.”</p><p>“Saying what? What are you talking about, man?” Dean was if possible even <em>more </em>confused.</p><p>A noise made the hairs on the back of Dean’s neck stand up. He knew that sound too well. However, as he turned around, Dean couldn’t help but flinch as he saw the Empty seep out from between the bricks of the wall behind him. “Cas,” he said in a warning tone. “What the <em>hell</em>? I don’t know what you’re doing, but I order you to stop it, Cas.”</p><p>“No, Dean. This is the only way, and you know it.” Cas slowly exhaled and prepared himself for the big finale. “I know… I know how you see yourself, Dean. You think hate and anger, that's… That's what drives you. But it's not, and everyone who knows you sees it. Everything you have ever done – the good and the bad – you have done for love, because that’s who you are.”</p><p>“Cas, Death is by the door. This isn’t the best time to get philosophical and chill with the Empty.” Dean went for a cheery tone, but all he could feel was panic as tears creeped into his own eyes. His senses told him that the Empty was advancing behind him. But somehow, that wasn’t as important as what was going on before him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bang </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Cas shaked his head with a sorrowful smile. He reached up a hand, gently placing it on Dean’s cheek. His tear-brimmed eyes glistened from the light as stars would do in the sky. “Ever since I pulled you out of Hell, knowing you has changed me. Because you cared, I cared. I cared about you, I cared about Sam, I cared about Jack. I cared about the whole world because of you. You changed me, Dean.”</p><p>“Cas, why… are you making a goodbye speech?” Dean asked, voice breaking. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bang </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Because this is where we end.” As Cas closed his eyes, the pent-up tears flowed down his cheeks. He opened his eyes and smiled. “I <em>love</em> <em>you</em>, Dean.”</p><p>“Cas, what are you doing?” Dean whispered all the while never breaking eye contact. What the hell was the dude doing? Dean could hear the words, he could intellectually understand the words, but he couldn’t <em>grasp </em>what Cas was saying. <em>I love you </em>? What did he mean by <em>‘I love you</em>'? Of course they loved each other. They were friends, they were brothers – they were <em>family</em>. How could this possibly help them get out of here? Dean waited for an answer. </p><p>But Cas didn’t explain.</p><p>"Okay, you said there were two reasons I might not like this," Dean said, changing tactics. He closed his eyes briefly and chose not to acknowledge the wetness travelling down his own face. "You'll die, but so will I. So what's the second reason?"</p><p>Again, Cas didn't answer. But his gaze became if possible even more intense, trying to convey all those things that words couldn't describe – his smile so sincere, his hand radiating heat, his presence slowing time and space. Dean's chest tightened.</p><p>Then suddenly everything made sense. The revelation hit Dean with an impact almost physically able to knock him to the ground. He understood.</p><p>But was it possible? An aftershock of doubt washed over him. Was it possible for an Angel of the Lord to feel what humans felt? To feel so acutely, so strongly, so richly? Did Dean all these years complicate something that was in its true form so beautiful yet so simple? Had it in fact been within Dean's reach all along, but never been grasped? Could they really have been–</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bang </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Death was behind that door, the Empty was behind his back, and Cas was making the mother of all love confessions mere inches before him. Dean’s mind was now aware of it all, yet he couldn’t process any of it. Everything else stopped matter. All sounds faded away. His surroundings disappeared as all Dean could focus on was Cas’ ocean blue eyes intensely staring him down. He furiously wiped away his own tears with the back of his hand, because he didn’t want to miss a moment of those eyes.</p><p>People always say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and for a short, ridiculous moment Dean wondered whether his soul matched the colour of Cas’ eyes. Those eyes were mesmerizing, warm and welcoming as a summer day, vast and beautiful like the universe, and within them was Cas’ entire being – everything he felt, everything he stood for, everything that made him <em>Cas</em>.</p><p>Cas smiled fondly, lips shaking as tears rolled down his face. “Goodbye, Dean.”</p><p>Suddenly the whole world sprung into action. The sounds came back, the time ticked on, the surroundings reappeared. In a firm motion, hard yet gentle, Cas shoved Dean aside. As Dean fell to the ground, the door smashed open, revealing its long-restrained victim.</p><p>Billie walked into the room behind Cas as the Empty moved closer before him. But none of that seemed to unphase Cas. He steadily locked eyes with Dean, inhaled a deep breath, and steeled himself for the end.</p><p><br/>
In that moment, Dean <em>knew</em>.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright, so after somehow managing to delete this chapter, I uploaded it again. It should still be exactly the same. Sorry &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Take It Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In an instant, Dean realised what Cas was doing. They had been played by God, by Death, and now Cas was sacrificing himself to save Dean. Cas wasn't choosing to be taken by the Empty because they were going to die anyway. No, he was sacrificing himself and taking Death with him just to give them a shot at defeating God. Cas was doing all of that for them, for the world, for <em> Dean</em>.</p><p>There was no time for thinking, but frankly there was no need to think. Throughout the better part of his life, Dean had let uncertainty define his being. But in that moment he knew. He couldn’t let Cas be taken into something that was nothing, into a world without consciousness, a world without continuation. Cas had been there when their fight for freedom began, and he should be there when it ended. What had once been a feeling shoved aside by the trials of life was now given a sliver of hope, and Dean knew that he couldn’t let it slip away. He couldn’t fathom his story ending without Cas in the picture, and he’d never been as certain about anything in his life.</p><p>It was a feeling so instant and strong that the moment Dean felt it he knew it was right. This was who he was. This was how the world was supposed to be. It all made sense. So as the Empty swallowed Billie and circled Cas, Dean jumped up from the ground and threw himself at the angel, sending them both crashing to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>And then Dean Winchester punched Castiel.</p><p> </p><p>He punched Cas hard in the face. Hard enough to bruise. Maybe hard enough to break bones. Dean thought he saw shock-infused confusion flitting across Cas’ face. It was hard to tell, because his own eyes were filled with tears, blurring his vision as he towered above the frame lying on the ground. He bit the insides of his cheeks – not out of anger but out of determination – and delivered another punch. And then a third.</p><p>The Empty was lurking by their feet, rocking back and forth as ocean waves, ready to swallow them both into the vast unknown. Dean gripped Cas by the collar and hauled him up on his feet. Putting a hand on his chest, Dean shoved Cas hard against the wall.</p><p>“Shut the fuck up,” Dean said through gritted teeth, trying to collect himself and steady his quivering voice. He <em> needed </em> to be convincing. Grabbing a fistful of trenchcoat, he pinned Cas against the wall with his forearm across Cas’ chest.</p><p>“So this is how you’re gonna do it? When the shit hits the fan you cop out. You leave me and Sam to deal with all the <em> shit</em>, because that’s what angels <em> do</em>, huh?” Their faces were so close that Dean could feel Cas’ every breath.</p><p>“Dean, that’s n- not–”</p><p>“Shut up. You don’t get to talk. This isn’t about you finding yourself or whatever. Don’t pull that crap on me.” <em> Sell it</em>, Dean told himself. This was going to require a whole set of skills that he didn’t possess yet nevertheless would have to utilize. “What gives you the right to think that you can be selfish? That you can stroll off into Candy Land just because you <em> feel like it</em>? When do we ever get to do what we want, Cas?”</p><p>“Dean–”</p><p>“I said <em> shut up</em>. I’m not finished.” Dean could feel something wet drip onto his hand clenched around the trenchcoat, and he could feel his own tears slowly falling victim to gravity. "Our life isn't about happiness, it isn't about love. It's about <em> survival</em>." He was happy the tears clouded his vision, because he couldn’t look at Cas right now – not with the words he was allowing to leave his mouth.</p><p>“<em>Dean</em>, it’s not like that…” Cas whispered, eyes red with tears and cheek taking on a blue hue from being hit.</p><p>“Then what? I asked you to run, Cas. I <em> begged </em> you to run. It was a foolproof plan. But you just had to stay and play the hero, didn’t you? Because you are too <em> scared </em> to face what’s coming.”</p><p>Dean subtly glanced at the Empty lurking in the background before continuing. “The times I needed you the most you weren’t there, Cas. You left me to fight by myself. Remember that? But when I had angels, demons, God, the whole fucking universe all towered above me I never gave up. I never allowed myself a spa day with Gandhi, trying to find my true self. So what gives you that right, huh? <em> What gives you, Castiel, that right</em>?” Dean close to shouted with anger in his voice. He could feel Cas’ intense, soul-piercing gaze boring into him. He could feel the Empty behind him, eager to swipe them both from the face of this Earth. He could feel his mind giving in, almost causing him to blurt out what he’d always wanted to say. But in true Winchester fashion, Dean skillfully bottled his feelings and pushed them away.</p><p>As Cas lowered his gaze, Dean took the opportunity to glance backwards again. He saw the black entity slowly retreating.</p><p>“Sam and I – we don’t get <em> happiness</em>," Dean ploughed on, aware of his words that were fabricated to hurt his friend in every possible way. “We get the dirty work that brings happiness to others. So don’t you dare come here and think that you understand humanity. Don’t you <em> dare </em> come to <em> me </em> and feel sorry for yourself, because you have <em> no idea</em>. You don’t understand anything about humanity, and you <em> never </em> will. You understand? You. Got. It. <em> Wrong</em>. So you keep that angelic mouth of yours shut, because we have to go save the <em> world</em>.” Dean slowly exhaled and let the last words echo until they faded into nothing. Inside, his pulse was skyrocketing, adrenaline coursing through his veins, but he forced himself to keep up the cold exterior. </p><p>The Empty had retreated, back to its realm far beyond those brick walls. Death was gone. Silence covered the room. There was something ringing, but that was probably just Dean's ears.</p><p>The strength that once comprised Cas’ frame was also gone – the firmness beneath Dean’s forearm no longer providing a counterforce. Before Dean now stood someone foreign to his eyes. Someone whose slumped shoulders, averted gaze, and defeat made him completely unrecognizable.</p><p>It had almost been too easy to pour all that bullshit out of his mouth, because Dean knew his friend inside out. He knew where he and Cas were alike. He knew Cas’ mind, his every habit and every quirk. All Dean had needed to do was to simply retell what he had been told as a child.</p><p>Dean finally released his grip on Cas. For a second he didn’t move. He stood, unwavering, and held Cas’ gaze long enough to make sure his message had fully sunk in. Once satisfied, he shoved the angel towards the door. “Let’s go.”</p><p><br/>
Cas had been wrong. <em> This </em> was the only way it could end.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sooo… This was a weird chapter to write, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I ended up changing a lot, moving things back and forth, but I hope you kinda get where I’m going with this.</p><p>There are two chapters (3&amp;4), and an epilogue left. I'm thinking of uploading ch 3&amp;4 in one go, because not a lot happens in chapter 3, but it's still an important part of the story. This will of course take more time, and because I have an exam on Friday, it's gonna take even longer… But bear with me! I've already written most of the epilogue and ch 4, so the story will be finished at some point next week (probably).</p><p>Thank you for taking your time to read this, and have a nice day :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Futile Attempt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finally. I apologise for the delay. I had planned for chapter 3 to be about s15e19, but the chapter ended up longer than I'd anticipated, so I decided to split it (you might have noticed the increased total amount of chapters).<br/>This was really tricky to write, and I've made about a thousand changes, so I apologise in advance for any mistakes/incoherencies.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean's phone call had been ambiguous enough to confuse yet clear enough to worry. Hearing that goodbye call, Sam would've left for the bunker right away hadn't there been people to protect. But what he hadn’t counted on was for people to, shortly after, start disappearing. One after another, they’d all vanished into thin air. The fear in their eyes were still burnt into Sam’s mind, the screams of terror ringing in his ears. God hadn't been out to destroy other worlds - he'd been out to destroy <em> all </em> worlds. In the end it had been just him and Jack left, along with the mere indication of what had once been. As they'd walked outside, an eerie calmness had been there to greet them. Sam and Jack had stared at each other, at a loss for what to do, as panic and despair threatened to prevail. But as if sensing their distress, Dean had called a second time, saying three simple words. <em> We got her</em>. </p><p>Now the sound from the car engine pierced through the silence. It was like music to Sam's ears. It was familiarity, it was safety, it was reassurance. As the Impala pulled up, he could finally indulge himself in a moment of relief. </p><p>"Dean!" Sam exclaimed as his brother and Cas stepped out of the Impala, the initial panic still ghosting his mind. "What the hell happened? You guys alright? I thought you were in trouble.”</p><p>"We're fine,” Dean said, giving a tight-lipped smile. “The Empty's gone, Death's dead."</p><p>Sam froze on the spot. "Wait, the <em> Empty</em>? I thought you went after Billie?" </p><p>"Yeah, but then… Uhh…" Dean scratched his forehead. "Long story."</p><p>Death, the Empty, Dean's weird attempt at a goodbye speech – there were so many things Sam wanted an answer to, but instead, Cas caught his attention. The angel’s left cheek was purple and swollen, his right hand and coat sleeve drenched in blood that had also been smeared in trails around the trenchcoat. "What happened to <em> you</em>? Cas, are you alright?"</p><p>"I'm fine," Cas said in a flat voice from which Sam couldn't deduce anything apart from the fact that something was definitely wrong. </p><p>"You're…" Sam was puzzled when he looked between Cas’ bloody hand and the handprint on Dean’s jacket. He nodded towards Cas' hand. “What happened to your hand?"</p><p>Cas looked down his arm and indeed there was a slit across his palm from where he'd cut himself to temporarily keep Death away. "Oh. Don't worry about that." With a flick of his hand, the wound was healed and the bruise was gone. The once blood-covered trenchcoat reverted to its impeccable state.</p><p>Sam frowned and looked at Jack who was frowning even more. He refused to believe that anyone could casually forget a deep cut across their palm. "Dean, what happened to him?"</p><p>"He got into a fight with Death," Dean said at the same time as Cas said "I tripped".</p><p>Sam raised his eyebrows. </p><p>"I fought Death… and <em> then </em> tripped," Cas explained, gesturing with his hands excessively.</p><p>"Dean, can I talk to you for a second?" Sam pulled his brother away without waiting for an answer.</p><p>“Seems like I don’t have much of a choice,” Dean muttered.</p><p>"What exactly happened back there?" Sam asked when they were out of earshot. Neither Dean nor Cas were entirely being themselves. It felt like they were from an alternate universe that was same enough but slightly different. Cas wouldn’t make eye contact with Dean – or anyone else for that matter – and talking to his brother felt like interacting with a brick wall.</p><p>"What do you mean? We found Death, we killed Death." </p><p>"Yeah, no I got that part. But what happened to Cas?" </p><p>"He's fine."</p><p>"Dean, <em> look </em> at him,” Sam said in frustration. “Does that look <em> fine </em> to you?" </p><p>"He's just tired."</p><p>“Dean, he’s not acting like himself and you <em> know </em> there's something wrong.”</p><p>"Sam, he's tired. Just let it go, okay?" Dean's voice left no room for discussion. "We’ve kind of got more pressing matters at hand right now."</p><p>Sam couldn’t believe his ears. Something was definitely up – something that both Dean and Cas deliberately ignored. There was something weird with them, like their existence had been struck out of balance, and he couldn't really put his finger on what it was. He sighed. "Uhh, okay, whatever. Look, I can't– I'm happy you're both safe,” Sam settled on saying, giving up his inquiries for now. Knowing his brother’s stubbornness, this would lead him nowhere, so when Dean's eyes looked around the town, his gaze followed. Maybe things would make sense in due time.</p><p>Streets lay empty before them, vacant shops and restaurants lined up on both sides. Walking through the forsaken town felt other-wordly, because this couldn’t possibly be Earth. Earth was filled with life, with movements, with sounds, and this had none of it. This was a bizarre, alien place that once had been at its height of civilization, majestically basking in glory, but now wasn’t even a shadow of its former self. </p><p>“So this is it?” Dean asked, gesturing at the deserted town surrounding them. </p><p>“All the people,” Jack said. “It doesn’t matter which universe – they’re all gone. God took them all.”</p><p>"Did you guys see anyone on your way here?" Sam asked.</p><p>Dean shook his head. "No one. Streets were empty. Are we the only people left?" </p><p>Sam shrugged, not sure what to answer. "I- I uhh… It seems like it?" </p><p>“You really think that God's the one doing all of this?" Jack asked.</p><p>Dean nodded. "It's definitely that son of a bitch." </p><p>As they continued walking, in futile search for signs of life, Sam couldn't help but repeatedly glance over at Dean walking by his side. He knew he should be devoting his attention and energy to what lay around them, but his eyes brought him to the handprint on Dean's shoulder. It made no sense. While Cas had been covered in blood, Dean was completely free from it. Except for that one handprint. <em> Why that handprint? </em>Behind them, Sam heard Jack very quietly ask Cas if he was alright, and he heard Cas' equally quiet voice brush off the concern. As Sam took another glance at the dried blood on Dean's shoulder, he felt as if he was trespassing something, and he couldn't figure out why he should feel that way. Nonetheless, this felt like a secret, something private and weirdly intimate that he had no business poking his mind into.</p><p>Sam's memories took him back to ten years ago when Dean had shown up, arisen from the dead, with the shape of Cas' hand burnt into his flesh. This had to mean something, right? Did they strike a stupid deal with Death? With Heaven? Both were lying through their teeth, so what exactly had gone down back in the bunker that was worth being so secretive about? <em> Cas fought Death and then tripped. Sure</em>, Sam thought. <em> What did he do, trip over Dean? </em></p><p>"<em>Guys</em>," Jack suddenly said, and when Sam and Dean turned around, he had already stopped walking.</p><p>"What is it?" Cas asked, immediately on alert. </p><p>Sam took a step closer. "Jack, what's wrong?"</p><p>"I think I-  Wait a minute…” He frowned, staring down with concentration written all over his face. “I feel… I feel something. Something close by.”</p><p>"I thought you were all powered down?" Dean asked.</p><p>"I'm not sure, but I sense another heart beating."</p><p>Sam and Dean looked at each other. "Let's go."</p><p>With Jack in the lead, they took off in a quick pace, leaving one abandoned store after another behind. Sam and Dean exchanged glances as they closed to jogged down the street, not knowing what to find. Was it another human? An angel? Demon? Hadn't God erased everyone from this earth?</p><p>Then finally, after zigzagging between the buildings and a last sharp turn to the right, Jack stopped. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his target. "Yes. It's here." </p><p>At first, Sam saw nothing. They stood in front of a restaurant, as empty and lifeless as everything else around them. A couple of tables and chairs were tipped over, no doubt from the panic arisen when people had started disappearing. "What are we looking for?" </p><p>Jack shook his head. "I'm not sure." </p><p>"I see it," Dean suddenly exclaimed and sprinted forward. He crouched behind a fallen table and patted his knees. "Hey, come here. Look at you. Come on," he coaxed. "How did Chuck miss you?" </p><p>And finally, Sam could see what was hiding behind that table. It was a–</p><p>"Sammy, check it out," Dean said with the biggest, stupidest grin Sam had ever seen on his face as he cradled a dog in his arms. "Whoever thought finding a dog would feel like a miracle?"</p><p>"You found a <em> dog</em>."</p><p>"Yeah, isn't it <em> great</em>?"</p><p>"I mean, yeah? Maybe there are people he missed too." </p><p>"Look, either way this guy's coming home with us." </p><p>"You're gonna let a dog sit in the <em> Impala</em>?"</p><p>"Oh, relax. I'm not giving him shotgun. Unless you're cool with that." Dean winked at Sam as he squeezed past him. </p><p>Sam couldn't help but smile in amusement at his brother getting over the moon because of a dog. Just years ago he'd been disgusted with Sam having a dog in the Impala. But people change, and time changes. Right now, a dog was a tiny sign of hope, a sign of sloppiness from–</p><p>Just as Dean was about to open the Impala, the dog vanished from his arms in an all too familiar fashion. Sam actually felt himself jump in surprise, and he could see Dean’s face fall. There was something truly horrifying – something that screamed pure evil – in seeing life dematerialize and leave behind nothing but air.</p><p>"I wondered when you would find it," Sam heard a voice say from behind – a voice that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Sam didn’t need to turn around, because he instantly knew who they would face. That voice made him nauseous, and the owner of it he resented.</p><p>"Hello, boys." Chuck was grinning and waving with one hand.</p><p>"<em>Chuck</em>." Sam's pulse quickened, and he felt the urge to punch someone – more specifically, God.</p><p>"In person." Chuck sighed. "This is a beautiful reunion right here. My son, my grandson, and my two favourite Winchester boys. How you've been? Enjoying a little alone time?" </p><p>"Cut the crap, you son of a bitch," Dean snapped. Sam could feel him fist his hands. "Why are you doing this?" </p><p>"My dear Dean Winchester," Chuck said, slowly walking towards them. He looked around, as if admiring his most recent work. "Why do you think? Because I'm bored. <em> Because I can</em>. I mean, picture it, the two of you, your little lapdog Jack, and the ever-so-loyal angel – all four of you rotting on a lifeless planet, knowing it's this way because <em>you wouldn't take a knee</em>.” He went up to Sam and looked him square in the eyes. “You boys just <em> had </em> to defy <em> everything </em> I had planned out for you. You were so disgustingly adamant on saving all these useless humans that you left me no choice but to take them <em> all </em> away. They’re not coming back, you can count on that."</p><p>Sam’s heart sank as he was faced with Chuck's beady, sadistic little eyes glowing with malevolence. The height difference would've been quite comical, hadn't it been for the fact that the shorter person was <em>God</em> himself. Nothing in Chuck's eyes held regret. There was no indication of him ever wanting to reverse his actions. Everyone they'd saved was gone. Their entire lives, fighting for humanity, had been for nothing. What had once started as a hunt for the yellow-eyed demon had unveiled a bigger potential – a greater opportunity to save all of humanity. But today, it had all been in vain.</p><p>What made Sam feel even worse was the fact that he’d been the one insisting on it this time. He’d insisted on finding another way, because <em> there always had to be another way</em>. But maybe there hadn't been. Maybe there wasn’t. Never in a million years would Sam have thought that God, the epitome of kindness and goodness, wouldn’t think twice about erasing all of his creations. Hadn’t he been so stubborn… "What if we surrender?" he blurted out. </p><p>"What did you say?" A smile spread across Chuck's face. "What are those words tickling my ears?" </p><p>"We surrender in exchange for you bringing all the people back."</p><p>"Yeah," Dean said. "You bring everyone back – <em> every </em> <em>single</em> living organism – and we give you what you want. Your big finale. We'll give you the whole Cain and Abel thing. I kill Sam, Sam kills me, we'll kill each other – you pick. How does that sound?"</p><p>Sam looked at Dean in shock. He didn't know if his brother was just playing along or if he'd also run out of options.</p><p>Chuck laughed and shook his head. "Humans, huh? I feel sorry for you," he whispered to Cas only to be met with stone cold silence. Rolling his eyes, he turned the attention back to Sam and Dean. "Oh boy, you guys got it all wrong. I mean, I appreciate the white flag, but it's too little, too late. I'm kind of enjoying <em>this</em> now."</p><p>"This isn't what you preached," Cas interjected, finally speaking up. He straightened his back, facing his Father. "You taught us to watch over humanity, to love humanity, to care for humanity. You can't do this."</p><p>"Oh, but I can, Castiel. Oh, but I will,” Chuck said and grinned. “Do you know why? Because I'm God. See, this isn't <em>your </em>show to run – it's <em>mine</em>."</p><p>“You–” But Sam never got the chance to oppose, because Chuck was gone. With no preamble, the world was once again filled with silence as frustration took over his mind. Despite knowing Chuck was wrong, and blatantly so, Sam still felt guilty. He’d failed humanity. “I did this,” he said, staring down at his feet. “We could’ve just given Chuck what he wanted, but I resisted. I thought we could beat this game, do it better. We tried to rewrite him, and the whole world paid the price.”</p><p>“Sam, don’t do this,” Dean said in a warning tone. “You <em> know </em> it’s nobody’s fault but that bastard’s. It’s not our actions that brought the world here – it’s Chuck’s disturbing, psychopathic mood swings. But you know what? Screw him. We’ll fix it like we always do.”</p><p>“Fix what, Dean?” Sam looked up. “I mean, look around us.”</p><p>“We can't just give up, Sam” Jack said.</p><p>“What other choice do we have? There’s nothing left, nothing to <em>fix</em>, no one left to <em>save</em>.”</p><p>“Alright,” Dean said, nodding his head, his mind seemingly coming to a resolution. “Then we fix all of it. We bring <em> everyone </em> back, we kill God – whatever it takes.”</p><p>Sam failed to understand Dean’s sudden surge of optimism. They were completely alone in existence, with no one left to help them. This was an impossibly ambitious task, even for them. “And how do we do that?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This (and the coming chapters) were really hard to write because s15e19 is SOOO incoherent. Like, there were 20 things happening in one episode. What I ended up doing was combining a lot of scenes, and because I didn't want every scene to feel as rushed as it did in the actual episode, I decided to split it into several chapters to let things play out properly. I will also stop guessing when I can post the next chapter because apparently I never finish in time ;)</p><p>Thank you for reading and have a nice day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Unexpected Ally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The old architecture towered impressively over them, melting into the dark night above. The stone walls echoed their every footstep, leaving no actions unnoticed. All around them, there were constant reminders of where they were, who to praise, and who to love. Dean felt sick to his stomach thinking about how many people had stood before this altar and shown blind faith in someone who couldn’t be less bothered. </p><p>Jack had led them to this church in hopes of finding Michael, but Dean doubted the archangel would show. They’d prayed to him on multiple occasions, asking for him to lend a helping hand. But like father like son. Michael hadn’t shown. Now they were standing at the altar, trying their luck once again.</p><p>Dean let his gaze wander from one painting of angels to another – they were plentiful, spread all throughout the church. His eyes eventually landed on Cas standing with his back to him, studying some books lying on the table. It was easy to forget that Cas wasn’t human – a testament to how close they’d gotten over the years. But standing in that church, seeing Cas alongside all the human depictions of angels, Dean was once again reminded. This was Cas in his right element. This had been him during Heaven’s most glorious days – the days of reverence and worship. This had been Cas long before they met, and it hit Dean how little he actually knew about his friend – how little he knew about Cas in those days long gone.</p><p>God and the angels had made themselves the center of attention on Earth. It was a selfish, careless act that asked for so much but returned so little. From the day he’d learnt the true face of Heaven, Dean had hated it. But the thought of Cas once having been part of that mighty force – an ancient species held in such high regard by humanity – was daunting. Thinking of how Cas had turned his back on all of that, of how he possessed so much power and knowledge, yet never let fear spread around him… Well, Dean could feel nothing but awe.</p><p>Lost in his thoughts, Dean forgot how long he’d been staring at Cas. It wasn’t until the angel by chance turned around that he caught himself in the act. They locked eyes for a second, sorrow meeting remorse. It had barely been a day since the bunker, but Dean already missed looking into those wide, blue eyes. After Billie died, they had avoided looking at, or being close to each other. It had been tense and awkward to say the least, but what did you even say to a friend whose heartfelt confession you countered with cold-blooded indifference? Dean swallowed. He averted his eyes, because <em> damn it, </em> Cas always had to win their staring contests. Soon enough, Cas turned back to whatever he’d been studying, and it was like nothing had ever happened.</p><p>Without the sun spreading warmth, the evening was chilly. The stained windows filtered out whatever ambient light was left, making the church even less inviting. They’d been there for a while without results, but Sam thought they’d give it another thirty minutes. After strolling around the church, Dean eventually took a seat and started fiddling with his phone. The phone, however, wasn’t interesting enough, and slowly his eyes found their way back to Cas. He observed how the angel’s hands carefully turned each page, how he handled each book with great care, like they were sacred artifacts. His head slightly turned left and right as he skimmed the pages, the turning pages setting a comfortable rhythm. Dean didn’t understand why Cas bothered looking through those books. It wasn’t like he didn’t already know all its contents. What was religion to humans was simply genealogy to Cas.</p><p>Suddenly the rustling of pages ceased. “Michael,” Cas said calmly without looking up, voice reverberating through the church.</p><p>By this point, Dean had lost hope. He turned around not expecting to see anyone, but to his surprise, a figure familiar to the eye had appeared. It was hard to distinguish outlines in the dimness of the evening, but it was definitely Michael standing at the very end of the church.</p><p>“So, you survived,” the archangel said, voice low and equally calm. He started walking towards the altar, making Dean feel like he was in a nightmare wedding movie.</p><p>“So did you,” Sam stated matter-of-factly, not at all disturbed by the fact that an archangel was walking down the aisle.</p><p>“I’m impressed you found me. Welcome to St. Michael's.”</p><p>“Are you hiding out from your dad?” Sam asked.</p><p>“I'm sure he's aware I took your side against him. I've avoided using any powers that might attract his attention. How did the four of you manage?”</p><p>“Apparently, your old man has a sense of humor,” Dean said, shaking his head to get rid of the absurd scenario his mind had painted him. “He thought it would be hilarious to watch us on an empty planet.”</p><p>“Were you, uh… doing some reading?” Sam glanced at the books that Cas had earlier been going through.</p><p>“I never spent much time on Earth. I was... curious about the perception of God and Heaven.” Michael gestured around the church. “When God left Heaven, I was certain of his return. So I made sure all of the angels and prophets burnished his image on Earth. Apparently, my efforts were more effective than I'd hoped, because the believers love him. They have, for thousands of years.”</p><p>“And now? After seeing what Chuck's done? Still proud of your actions?” Jack asked.</p><p>“I didn't anticipate… <em> this</em>.” </p><p>“We reached out to you,” Dean said. “But you ignored us.”</p><p>“That was then. This is now. Tell me what you need me to do.”</p><p> </p><p>–</p><p> </p><p>They were gathered around the table – Dean and Jack on one side, Sam and Cas on the other. In his hands, Sam held what was for them probably the most important book in the universe right now. This was the book that held the end, the way in which God dies, the possible solution to freedom. Dean watched Sam carefully as his brother put the book down in front of Michael. He couldn't believe that they'd actually managed to track down and bring an archangel back to the bunker.</p><p>"Alright, Michael," Sam said determinedly. "Here's the book we've been telling you about." </p><p>"That's… one of Death's books." Michael frowned as he inspected the black binding. He lightly ran his fingers over the golden symbols protruding from the cover.</p><p>“Yeah, but this one is about God,” Dean sat up straighter in his chair, “and how to kill him.”</p><p>“As far as we know, only Death can open it. But, umm…” Sam shrugged. “We're hoping maybe you can too.”</p><p>Michael looked up at the four of them. “I make no promises, but I’ll try my best.”</p><p>Dean watched closely as Michael hovered a hand above the book. He could see the concentration on his face, he could feel the power radiating off the book. It was total silence in the room as everyone’s attention was focused on one common goal. For a long time nothing happened. In the end, Michael looked up and shook his head. “I'm sorry.”</p><p>Dean sighed and leaned back in his chair. So much for that theory. His mind was already numbed at this point, and where disappointment normally resided, there was now nothing.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Sam said and rubbed his face. “It was a long shot at best, but thank you for trying.”</p><p>"So… Where does this leave us?" Jack asked quietly.</p><p>"Well, God's probably ready to make a move–" Dean was interrupted by Sam's phone ringing. He and Sam frowned as their confused eyes met. There shouldn't be any people left to call them. “Maybe he already made that move.”</p><p>Sam took out his phone. He answered it, was silent for all of five seconds, then bolted for the door. </p><p>"Sam, what's wrong?" Dean was immediately on his feet, running after his brother. He heard chairs scrape against the floor as the others followed. </p><p>"It's Eileen," was all Sam said as he ran up the stairs, three steps at a time.</p><p><em> Eileen</em>? That didn’t sound like God. Dean was confused, but had no time to process anything before Sam opened the front door. </p><p>The moment the door opened, Sam's eyes widened and his face fell. Dean instantly knew something was wrong.</p><p>"<em>Whassuuuup</em>," a cheery voice exclaimed, making Dean's insides freeze to ice. He would recognise that voice <em> anywhere</em>.</p><p>"<em>Lucifer</em>?" Sam yelped and proceeded to smash the door shut. </p><p>“Woah, take it easy, Sammy.” Lucifer counteracted the force and pushed himself inside. “Way to treat a pal.”</p><p>Dean was in shock, and judging by the general lack of reaction in the room, everyone else was too. His mind reacted like Sam had. <em> Lucifer? </em></p><p>"Oh, would you guys relax? It was a joke. Would you really have opened if you knew it was me? Come on, where's your sense of humor?" Lucifer put his face close to Sam. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he whispered and winked.</p><p>Dean saw his brother lift his hand to smack the ugly face before him, but the hand hit thin air.</p><p>"Almost. You'll get me next time." Lucifer, having zapped himself downstairs, looked up and waved at Sam.</p><p>"<em>Lucifer</em>," Michael said in a threatening voice, widening his stance as if preparing for war. Dean saw his eyes flash blue.</p><p>"In the flesh," Lucifer said and twirled around. "Looking great, don't you think?"</p><p>"You're <em> dead</em>." </p><p>"Umm, not so much. I feel <em> amazing</em>."</p><p>"How are you alive?"</p><p>Ignoring the question, Lucifer pushed past Dean and Michael. “Hey, my son,” he said and greeted Jack with open arms. “You’ve grown since last time I saw you.”</p><p>Jack's eyes narrowed in disgust. "You're not my father."</p><p>"Ouch. Hurtful. I'm a much cooler dad than <em> that </em> loser, don't you think?" Lucifer said as he pointed at Cas. "You don't look too chipper, by the way." He approached his younger brother and tipped his chin up. "What's wrong, baby bro? Earth's not treating you right?" </p><p>"None of your business," Cas spat as he swatted the hand away. </p><p>"None of my bu- <em> Ohh</em>. I see." Lucifer looked between Cas and Dean and grimaced. "Oops. Awkward." He spun around to face the others. “My little brother <em> is in looov–” </em></p><p>"Okay, that's enough," Dean snarled. Lucifer had <em> no right </em> to humiliate Cas with his filthy, disgusting mouth. A sudden boost of adrenaline sped up his heart rate as he put himself between Cas and Lucifer, staring the latter unwaveringly in the eyes. It was stupidity at its finest to threaten Satan, but when said archangel had repeatedly made your life hell on earth, recklessness could sometimes be excused. "If you don’t tell us <em> right now</em> what you’re doing here, I swear I’m gonna <em> rip </em> your lungs out."</p><p>"Interesting," Lucifer said in amusement and pointed between Dean and Cas. </p><p>It was hard not to let revulsion dictate his actions. Dean could feel himself slowly lose control over his fists as he took a warning step forward. </p><p>Lucifer immediately held his hands up. "Alright, calm down, <em> boyfriend</em>. I'll tell you." He looked around the room before continuing. "When Father nutted out and committed mass murder, the Empty booted me with orders to find the missing God Book and use it on the old man. Normally I'm not very good at following orders – <em> this one knows</em>," he nodded towards Michael, "but you don't want to mess with the Empty, man. Especially since Jack blew up all over her and whatnot. Real classy, just like his dad. Anyhow, I caught wind of the fact that our very own Samuel Winchester recently laid his hands on the Very Important Book, so <em> what is up, guys</em>? We're a team again."</p><p>"Oh, no no no," Sam said. "No way. Over my dead body. Forget it."</p><p>"Hmm…” Lucifer nodded thoughtfully. “I did anticipate reluctance, so I came prepared. See, I come bearing gifts – a token of good faith, if you will." He gestured with his hands in the air, and suddenly a woman appeared beside him – gagged, chained, and clearly panicking.</p><p>Dean's breath hitched. "Who is she?"</p><p>"This is Betty," Lucifer said with pride in his voice as he admired his prey.</p><p>"You kidnapped a <em> woman</em>?" Sam asked in disbelief.</p><p>"She's a reaper," Michael said, looking at Sam.</p><p>Without warning, Lucifer stabbed the reaper in the stomach with an angel blade. With a scream, she lifelessly collapsed on the floor. "Brother, you're wrong," he said. "She's a <em> dead </em> reaper."</p><p>"Wow. <em> Really</em>?" Dean couldn't believe his eyes. "That was your big plan? To kill a friggin <em> reaper</em>?" </p><p>"Not <em> any </em> reaper, Dean. This is the first reaper to check out since Billie, so… Wait for it."</p><p>Dean stared down at the woman, at a loss for what to do. So much had happened in one day that his brain had stopped reacting to all the atrocities. What the hell were they even doing siding with Satan?</p><p>"Wait for it," Lucifer whispered as the silence dragged on.</p><p>Then suddenly, with a sharp inhale, the woman came to life. She flew up from the floor, as if being yanked, and came to stand beside Lucifer.</p><p>"And meet the new Death – our personal Book Reader." Lucifer pointed at the things that had materialized in the woman's hands. "I mean, she's got the whole Death starter kit going with the Decoder Ring and all, not to mention the trademark scythe. Isn't that awesome?" He waggled his eyebrows as he looked at Michael. "Gotta admit, it's pretty impressive, right? All these years and I <em> still </em> got it. You might have been daddy's favourite, but <em> I've </em> always had the brains, bro."</p><p>"So, do you have it?" the new Death asked, not giving Michael a chance to refute.</p><p>Dean's brow furrowed. What the <em> hell</em> just happened?</p><p>Betty sighed. "Wow, slower than they look."</p><p>Lucifer shrugged. "Eh. They have their bright moments." </p><p>"Okay, the end of God is in the special book, and if you give Betty the book, Betty can read–"</p><p>"Okay, okay, we got it," Dean interrupted. She’d been Death for all of three seconds, and he was already fed up with the attitude. He looked at Sam who nodded. </p><p>"Come with me," Sam said and started walking. </p><p>"Don't tell me you're going to trust <em> Lucifer</em>," Michael said in dismay as they all headed further into the Bunker where the book lay. </p><p>"Hey, Mikey," Lucifer protested. He turned around and started walking backwards. "Mikey, come on, man. I get the bitterness. After everything you did for the old man, you got no better from him than me – the son voted 'most likely to suck' – and that sucks. I get it. That man had no love to give. But is this tone really necessary? We're all stuck in dad's stupid shit. Don't I at least deserve credit for helping you out?"</p><p>"We're not trusting him, Michael,” Dean clarified. “We're… giving it a shot, okay? I mean, what other options do we have? Do you– Cas, watch out!" he suddenly yelled.</p><p>Because Lucifer had been walking backwards, absorbed in a heated argument with Michael, he hadn't been paying attention to where they were headed. So when Cas turned around, forewarned by Dean, he managed to step out of the way just before Lucifer went back first into a table.</p><p>The face of Satan in table-induced pain was priceless. Dean had to force back laughter, and he could see the amusement in Cas’s eyes as well. It felt good knowing that they still made a good team, if only for something as ridiculous as this. “Did you get an <em> owie</em>?” he asked.</p><p>Lucifer inhaled, pressed his lips together into a thin line, and slowly exhaled. Annoyance and indignity was written all over his face. “You… bunch… of… <em> idiots</em>. Here I come in peace to help you take down God, and this is what I get?” He sighed, mood switching abruptly as years of wrongdoing came to mind. “Well, maybe that one’s on me for being a dick. Michael, no need to look so smug.”</p><p>Michael simply raised his eyebrows.</p><p>“Guys?” Sam called from the other end of the room, pulling their attention away from the little… <em> mishap</em>. “Please?”</p><p>“Sorry,” Dean said with a stupid grin on his face. “You got the book?”</p><p>Betty held up the book in response. “See you guys later.”</p><p>“Wait,” Sam protested as Betty turned to leave, but was stopped by her outstretched hand.</p><p>"<em>Not </em> a group project.” </p><p>"I'm not letting you walk away with that book alone." </p><p>"Well, then you're not getting the translation."</p><p>Sam turned to look at Dean, wanting his opinion.</p><p>"Fine, but if you don't come back with that book I'll kill you," Dean said. "Capiche?" </p><p>"Yeah, I can attest to that. He single-handedly killed Death." Lucifer pointed at Dean. "<em>Twice</em>."</p><p>Betty rolled her eyes. "Relax. I'll be back."</p><p>As soon as Betty disappeared, Sam turned around to face Dean. "Dean, a word?"</p><p>"Sure," Dean said. He turned to Jack, Cas, and Michael. "You three keep an eye on that one, okay?" </p><p>"Hey, I thought we were buddies," Lucifer protested and pouted.</p><p>Dean ignored the comment and followed his brother, leaving the heap of angels and one nephilim behind them.</p><p>Sam led him through the maze that was the bunker and finally unlocked a door, stepping inside. Dean went in and looked around at all the shelves crowding the room. They were so far out of earshot that they’d soon be <em> within </em> earshot if they kept walking. “Dude, what kinds of secrets are you gonna tell me?”</p><p>“I don’t trust Lucifer,” Sam said, closing the door behind them.</p><p>“Neither do I – he has something up his sleeve. Was it worth travelling across half the country just to tell me that?”</p><p>“Well, I thought we should have a backup plan.”</p><p>“Which is hiding in here?”</p><p>Sam looked at Dean, not the tiniest bit amused. “No,” he said and pulled out a box from one of the shelves. “If he tries to bail on us, we need to be able to stop him.”</p><p>Dean peeked inside the box when Sam lifted the lid. Within was a sharp, twisted blade attached to a black handle. “The archangel blade. Not bad.” He carefully picked the weapon up and felt its weight in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy for something so delicate. This was their only advantage over Lucifer, and looking at it triggered an idea to form in his head. “I’ve been thinking about what Jack told us earlier – you know, the whole power-sucking vacuum situation he has going on?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Now I’m thinking that if we could nail an archangel…” Dean skillfully spun the blade in his hand. “Well, that would generate a lot of power. Maybe that could give Jack an energy boost.” He handed the blade over to Sam. “You hold on to that, and when time comes, we kill Satan.”</p><p>Sam huffed and hid the blade inside his jacket. If only it were that simple. “Sounds like a plan." He cleared his throat. "Uhh… Dean, just one more thing. What happened between you and Cas?”</p><p>Dean froze in the middle of a movement and looked at his brother. “Nothing,” he answered tersely, the light-heartedness all gone. “Let’s go.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope I never have to say this again, but writing about Lucifer was surprisingly fun. I had to split the chapter (again!) because I discovered that it was so much longer than all the other chapters.</p><p>As always, thank you for reading :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The God Book</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were waiting for Betty to decode the book. The lack of speaking was a well-needed break from the up until now hectic day. Like a child, Lucifer was concentrating on building a tower out of playing cards. The rest of them were deep in thoughts or research. Dean found himself looking at Cas who was stoically staring down at the table. They hadn’t spoken with each other at all, Cas keeping silent for the most part, and only speaking when addressed. The ocean blue eyes, once full of life and energy, were dulled and downcast. The frame beneath the trenchcoat was thin and brittle, about to break any minute. Cas wasn’t happy – that was naturally the only reason why they were both able to sit here right now, but this wasn’t what Dean had pictured. To be fair, Dean hadn’t thought about consequences at all. His actions, although assuring their survival, had brought pain to an unforeseeable extent. Could this really be called living? What came next? They couldn’t stay like this forever. Saving Cas from the clutches of death had initially felt like an act of heroism – in saving a friend, he'd done a selfless deed – but it was in fact the opposite. This was what he'd wanted, not what Cas had asked for. His friend was deeply hurt, and Dean didn’t know how long he could keep up this charade. </p>
<p>Happiness had always equalled freedom – the act of choosing your own path in life – because that was the one thing Dean had since childhood never had. In later years, freedom had in turn equalled beating God at his own game. But the more Dean thought about it, the less he agreed with himself. Even if – and that was a big <em> if </em> – they managed to pull off this grand scheme of defeating Chuck and saving the Earth, he’d never truly be free or happy. Dean would never be able to tell Cas what he wanted him to hear, because the moment he did, the Empty would reappear. It felt gruesome knowing that life and happiness couldn't parallel, and what was life without happiness? What was the point in living if you couldn't share it with the people you cared about?</p>
<p>Because they were in a situation where Chuck had killed everyone, there was no direction to go but forward. They’d dug themselves into a hole so deep that the only solution left was to dig further down until they came out on the other side. One week ago, Dean had been hell-bent on taking down Chuck, but if his mindset back then had been anywhere near where it was today, he would’ve given Chuck the victory. He would’ve pulled the plug and gladly accepted his life as a puppet, because though his actions would be dictated by someone else, at least his mind would be free. At least everyone would still be alive.</p>
<p>Dean was aware that he on multiple occasions over the last years, and especially the past months, hadn’t treated Cas well. He’d always blamed it on disagreements, but maybe it had been a subconscious choice out of fear – a fear of questioning his very own core values. Maybe Dean had started pushing Cas away because he was afraid of what he actually felt. Maybe he was scared of his fundamental beliefs changing. It didn't matter which scenario was true – all he came to realise was that Cas had become too important to him. Dean, however, didn’t have another chance to delve into his new-found insights, because Betty entered the room.</p>
<p>“I have opened the book,” Betty announced, breaking the silence. Everyone’s heads turned towards her. “All that you want is in here. I know how God ends.”</p>
<p>“You're sure about this?” Dean asked, ridding his mind of previous thoughts.</p>
<p>“Of course I'm sure. I'm Death.”</p>
<p>“You've been Death for an <em> hour</em>.”</p>
<p>Betty sighed and held up the book to prove a point. "Behold. In the end, there is the ending of he who created the beginning–"</p>
<p>“Fascinating,” Lucifer said. He rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Dean watched in shock as Death crumbled into ashes before their eyes. Nothing but black dust was left, and the now open book flew straight into Lucifer’s hands.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Lucifer sighed in satisfaction as five pairs of wide eyes stared at him. He cradled the book to his chest. “I forgot to mention – this is what pop wanted to get his hands on the whole time. Pop was the one who let me out of the Empty, because I’m,” he shrugged, “kind of the new favourite now. No big deal.”</p>
<p>Michael’s eyes immediately darkened.</p>
<p>“What did dad say about you? Oh, that’s right. <em> Mikey's a cuck</em>. You're a cuck.” Lucifer made a face to annoy his brother.</p>
<p>When Michael’s eyes glowed bright blue, Dean saw that as their chance. He elbowed Sam in the side. “Showtime,” he whispered. Together, they walked towards Lucifer. However, they were sent flying backwards within seconds, crushing into shelves and chairs. The impact made Dean wince, but the pain was worth it. Things finally seemed to go their way.</p>
<p>In his peripheral vision, Dean saw Cas get sent into a wall closely followed by Michael running towards Lucifer, only for the latter to zap out of reach. Michael spun around, eyes glowing and hands sending out a ball of energy. But it was to no avail – Lucifer once again zapped out of the way, and what was aimed at him hit the wall behind.</p>
<p>“Wow, you are <em> really </em> getting rusty at this, buddy,” Lucifer said and appeared at the other end of the room. Stretching out a hand, he knocked the other archangel to the floor.</p>
<p>As Lucifer approached Jack – the only other person standing up in the room – Dean saw Sam take the opportunity to shuffle towards Michael. He smiled to himself, because he knew exactly what his brother was up to.</p>
<p>“So, <em> buddy</em>…” Lucifer grinned at Jack. “You're gonna have to make a decision now. Dump the losers and join gramps and me on the winning team, or… Yeah, there isn’t really much of a decision here, because this is the only way you're getting out of here alive. You're not strong enough to…”</p>
<p>Jack blinked hard, trying to regain his balance. He was breathing heavily and stared coolly at his father, or rather at what was behind him.</p>
<p>“There’s someone behind me, isn’t there.” Lucifer's face fell as he turned around. Behind him stood his brother.</p>
<p>"Surprise."</p>
<p>Lucifer sighed, visibly annoyed. “Don’t you ever learn, Michael?”</p>
<p>“No, I don’t.” There was hatred in Michael's voice. In a swift motion, he moved his arm forwards and stabbed Lucifer in the stomach.</p>
<p>Lucifer’s eyes widened in surprise as the blade pierced through flesh. His body tensed, and the book cradled in his arms fell to the ground. This was the one action that could render Satan himself speechless.</p>
<p>Dean couldn’t see Lucifer’s face, but he didn’t need to. The deafening scream and blinding light emerging from the archangel told him all he needed to know. For a couple of seconds, the room bathed in light, and then Lucifer gave way to gravity. Dean’s ears rang in the silence left behind, and his heart pounded loudly in his chest. Through the slowly fading afterimage in his eyes, he saw the dark imprint of angel wings on the floor, extending from the lifeless body.</p>
<p>Michael looked at Sam. “Thanks for the blade.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>–</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dean walked into the kitchen. Jack and Cas were sitting at one table, Michael at another. He headed straight for the fridge and pulled out a beer. “How you doing? You okay?” he asked Michael.</p>
<p>“Yeah. A bit winded,” the archangel answered. “I haven't been in a battle like that for several centuries.”</p>
<p>“Glad you were here. We had a feeling Lucifer was gonna turn, so Sam had the archangel blade prepared,” Dean said and took a swig from the bottle. “Chuck's getting desperate. He knows something's up. Wouldn't take the chance of showing up himself.”</p>
<p>“He sent Lucifer. Brought him back from the dead…” Michael shook his head unbelievingly.</p>
<p>“Do you wish he’d come to you instead?”</p>
<p>“No, of course not.” The answer came almost too quickly.</p>
<p>Dean narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the man sitting in front of him. Whether he liked it or not, he and Michael had a lot in common. Their whole lives had been about making their fathers proud. A proud father was more important than anything, and they’d lived their lives by it. Dean knew that when your dad dismisses you, you don’t give up. You fight back until you gain his attention again, and that was why hearing Michael belittle Chuck’s actions didn’t sit right with him.</p>
<p>“Where’s Sam?” Michael asked, changing the subject.</p>
<p>“Uhh, Sam thought that he recognised some of the symbols in the writing, so he's gonna use the Book of the Damned to see if he can't figure out the end,” Dean said, watching Michaels every reaction carefully. “And by that, I mean... <em> the End</em>.”</p>
<p>“Oh. How’s he doing?”</p>
<p>Dean shrugged and sat down. “I don’t know. He’s been at it for a while.”</p>
<p>It had been a long emotional rollercoaster of a day. Far more had happened than Dean’s mind was ready to process. He felt tired to the bone and rested his head in his hands, allowing his consciousness to drift into slumber. Time ticked, well on its way to midnight, and the silence stretched with it. Chuck’s death book was open and Lucifer was dead. The last remaining step was to lure God into their trap. Easy-peasy.</p>
<p>Dean had almost fallen asleep by the point Sam showed up in the kitchen. He jerked awake and, slightly disoriented, squinted at his brother. “You done?”</p>
<p>“Sorry, it was hard, but I think I was able to piece it together,” Sam answered.</p>
<p>“<em>I</em><em>t</em>?” Michael asked.</p>
<p>“The spell,” Sam explained. “There's a spell. It has to be done at a particular place, at an exact angle from the sun. If done right, it'll release an unstoppable force that will find Chuck and finish him.”</p>
<p>Dean put his hands together. “Great. Let’s kill God.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There were (mainly) two things I changed in this chapter that bugged me in the actual episode – 1) Why did Lucifer just disappear like that after he was killed? and 2) If God's death book had been in Enochian, why didn't they just ask Michael to read it?</p>
<p>I'm also kind of worried that my chapters addressing s15e19 are too dragged-out and too canon, but I couldn't think of a way to make the story work without these scenes. What I instead tried to do in all of these chapters was to describe Dean's internal dialogue, because that's something the show never gave us. And provided you haven't repressed the episode, you might be able to deduce that my writing of s15e19 is coming to an end. After that, things can hopefully move along.</p>
<p>With that said, I want to thank everyone who's read and commented on the story so far. I never anticipated such positive reactions! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. End of an Era</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, so first I just want to apologise because I really messed up. When editing this chapter for upload, I accidentally deleted the first chapter. I know, I'm an idiot. Luckily I had backed up, but I'm crying right now because all your wonderful comments disappeared. They were the first comments of my first fic on ao3 T_T<br/>But I hope you can forgive me &lt;3</p><p>With that said, there are some good news. At least I think they're good news. I uploaded 2 chapters at once! Wohoo!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Early in the morning they had driven out here, and now Dean stood by a lake, helping Sam put together everything they needed to summon God. He looked around in between filling bowls with suspicious-looking items. It was a beautiful place. A vast lake, surrounded by trees, extended before them. Mountains emerged from the morning fog, their number doubled by the placid water. The sunlight shone through the trees, the soft light touching everything in its path. It was hard to imagine what was soon about to go down here. Dean briefly closed his eyes and inhaled the refreshing air, relishing the serenity, allowing himself to relax in the calm before the storm.</p><p>“Alright, it’s done. Let’s light it up,” Sam said and looked up, pulling Dean from his reverie. He lit a match and let it fall down into the bowl on the ground.</p><p>In an instant, everything caught fire. Blue light shot out of the bowls, the energy from it radiating like the sun. Dean shielded his eyes from being blinded as he faced the storm-like impact shooting high up into the sky. The waves of power emanating from the pillars of light were almost tangible. It could be seen from miles away, and had there been people left, this would’ve become the focus of amateur paranormal investigation within minutes.  </p><p>The light disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared. Blended by the brightness, Dean, Sam, Cas, and Michael stood in anticipation, waiting for something to happen. But nothing changed. The world was left as deserted as before.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Dean asked and looked at Sam. “Why isn’t it working?”</p><p>Sam shook his head and shrugged. “I– I don’t–” But then his eyes widened as a <em>whoosh </em>was heard. “<em>Chuck.</em>”</p><p>Dean spun around, and lo and behold – there was God himself.</p><p>“Were you looking for me?” Chuck said. He whisked his hand nonchalantly and sent everyone but the archangel collapsing to the ground. “<em>Peasants</em>.”</p><p>“Father,” Michael said, his face lighting up.</p><p>“Son.” Chuck nodded his head once. “I appreciate the heads-up about all this.”</p><p>“It's always been my destiny to serve you.”</p><p>“Has it?” Chuck took a step towards his son with dismay in his voice. </p><p>Michael’s eyes widened at the memories. “I admit, I haven’t always been faithful, but I was mistaken, Father.”</p><p>“Yeah. The thing is, it's kind of late in the game. I mean, you <em>did </em>side with the Winchesters, and I can't forgive that.” Chuck walked towards his son, an evil smile on his face.</p><p>“Father, no,” Michael said in panic as he realised what was about to happen. "That was a lapse of judgment, I admit, but I swear I–”</p><p>“Save it!” Chuck shouted and extended an arm towards Michael. The archangel’s face started cracking, blinding light seeping out and into Chuck’s hand. Michael screamed in anguish, but his Father didn’t stop. An eternity of obedience, of worship, was now coming to an end, and this was the reward. More and more light left his body, and in the end, Michael’s being exploded and vanished into thin air.</p><p>In the moments that followed, Dean and Sam got up on their feet, facing Chuck with determination. They were in the home stretch now.</p><p>“And you <em>two</em>,” Chuck said, brushing off a little bit of dust that had landed on his shoulder. He turned around. “Instead of being grateful to be alive, you had the audacity to turn my <em>own</em> son against me. You tried to <em>kill </em>me. So we're done. I'm canceling your show.”</p><p>Sam firmly stepped forward. “Alright, well, one for the road.” He punched Chuck hard in the face, but then winced in pain.</p><p>“Cute.” Completely unfazed, Chuck held out his hands and suddenly had his two Winchester boys in firm grips by their shirt collars. “Didn’t you hear me? <em>It’s over</em>.”</p><p>Dean’s face was about three inches from Chuck’s, but that didn’t bother him. “At least have the courage to fight us for it,” he snarled. “For old times’ sake,” he added for comedic effect. </p><p>Chuck seemed to think about the suggestion, weighing his options. “What the heck. I can get my hands dirty this one last time,” he said indifferently, releasing his grip. “I mean, you <em>were </em>always special to me.” Without forewarning, he punched Dean in the face and kicked Sam in the stomach. Both fell backwards.</p><p>From the ground, Dean bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. He stood up and threw a slightly ill-timed punch, giving Chuck free power to beat him down again. This followed by Cas coming towards Chuck, but not even an angel could beat God.</p><p>“You lose,” Chuck said, superiorly looking down at his challengers. “Give it up.” </p><p>“Never,” Sam spat and rose to his feet, ready to face the next wave of sharp, agonising pain.</p><p>The three of them went at it, standing up and getting beaten down. They fell, time after time, accustoming the ground beneath them to the full force collisions. Pain jarred their bodies, the broken and fractured bones making it unbearable to stand up. Yet they stood, determined to fight an impossible battle. For a short, lucid moment, Dean thought that this had to be what a Sisyphean nightmare felt like. Then Chuck’s fist impacted his body again, and he tasted blood-infused dirt.</p><p>After a good while of being divine punching bags, they were all lying on the ground, writhing in pain. With unfocused eyes, Sam looked behind Chuck. “Okay, that’s enough,” he coughed, blood dripping from his mouth.</p><p>“You give up?” Chuck asked condescendingly.<br/>
“<em>No.</em>” Sam dragged himself towards Dean, giving his brother a hand as they tried to stand up.</p><p>Dean forced himself to a kneeling position while wiping away blood running down his face. Pain, originating from his twisted knee, shot up his leg. He put one arm around Sam, the other grabbing Cas. Arduously, they rose to their feet, all three supporting each other. Two things indicated their minds being totally out of it – Cas not objecting physical contact, and Dean feeling Cas’ strong grip around his waist.</p><p>“Well, there isn’t much of an option, is th–” Chuck frowned, confusion in his eyes. Despite half of their bodies being covered in blood and bruises, Sam’s laugh was bright, Dean’s smile mocking, and Cas’ gaze complacent. “You’re not supposed to be happy. Why are you smiling? Stop it.”</p><p>Hearing Chuck’s bewilderment only added to the triumph. It wasn’t over yet, but Dean already felt a lifelong weight being lifted off his shoulders. To further provoke the man in front of him, he smiled as much as his bruised and bloody lips allowed him to. He made sure to articulate each word, ensuring that they reached their recipient. “<em>We win</em>.”</p><p>“Look behind you,” Sam said, his head held high.</p><p>Chuck quickly spun around. He was faced with Jack who must have recently materialised. Untroubled, he snapped his fingers, expecting his grandson to go away like last time. But Jack remained standing, unaffected by the action and very much alive. Chuck snapped his fingers again, and again, and again. But nothing happened. With panicked eyes, he looked at his fingers that were still snapping. “W-what is happening?” He tripped over his words, panic rising. He tried to back away when Jack walked towards him, but his grandson was quicker. With a dazzling speed, Jack grabbed hold of Chuck’s face. A golden light emanated, surrounding both of them. Chuck’s facial features froze in horror, his body spasming and breath hitching. The power leaving him and entering his grandson was visually an impressive sight. It marked the end of an era.</p><p>When Jack finally released his grip, Chuck collapsed to the ground, his body not strong enough to keep him upright anymore. Jack looked up, eyes glowing like fire, a bright, golden aura surrounding him. With a snap of his fingers, he’d healed his friend’s wounds.</p><p>“What did you <em>do</em>?” Chuck asked meekly, lifting his head from the ground to look at the Winchesters. “Where are my powers?”</p><p>“Your powers are <em>gone</em>. After turning Jack into a cosmic bomb, we discovered that he could absorb energy.” Dean informed. He slowly released his grip on Sam and Cas and walked up to Chuck, pain no longer restraining him. “But apart from that, we didn’t do anything – <em>you </em>did all the work for us.”</p><p>“I– I did?”</p><p>“Killing your own son? Beating us up? That made you release all sorts of power – power that Jack took care of.”</p><p>“Yeah. And you sending Lucifer? That was the perfect help on the way. With Lucifer and Michael in the same room, fights were bound to happen,” Sam added, coming up to his brother. “And those fights generate powerful archangel energy. We hadn’t planned on Lucifer being there, but thanks for sending him.”</p><p>“So t-this– this was all a… <em>trap</em>?” Chuck squinted at the people towering over him. “Telling Michael, shooting up that light pillar – it was just a trap?"</p><p>“Yes. I knew Michael would never turn on you – not really,” Dean said.</p><p>“Because you’re both daddy’s boys…” Chuck said.</p><p>“Well, you’re the author, you should know.” Dean looked down at the man, pathetically lying at his feet. It suddenly hit him how ridiculous it was having God bow down to him. “So we had to come up with another plan.” Dean nodded at Sam who carelessly threw the death book to Chuck.</p><p>“That’s the plan,” Sam said curtly. “See for yourself.”</p><p>Chuck desperately flipped through the pages of the book holding his faith, but nothing but blank pages turned up. He looked up again. “It’s <em>empty</em>?”</p><p>“It’s not empty, but only Death can read it.”</p><p>“B-but y-you…”</p><p>Dean shook his head. “No. Sam never translated your book. What he actually did was to use the Book of the Damned to piece together a spell that would release a shitload of energy. We figured that would draw you attention no matter if Michael had actually given you the heads-up or not.”</p><p>Chuck let his head drop and huffed in disbelief, finally coming to a realisation. “I made the mistake of creating a too perfect story.” He looked up at his favourite characters, eyes signalling defeat. “So this is where it ends, huh? This is where you kill me…” He pulled himself off the ground, and kneeled in front of Sam and Dean, in front of his son and grandson.</p><p>“You sure his powers won’t come back?” Sam asked, eyeing Jack as they towered over the former God.</p><p>“It’s my power now.” Jack’s voice was calm and certain.</p><p>“Alright. Then we’re done here.” Sam nodded once, and as if on cue, they all turned their backs to Chuck and walked away.</p><p>“Guys?” Chuck yelled, still on his knees. He lost balance trying to get up, and ended up half-crawling after them. “What are you doing? Hello? Guys? Are you just gonna leave me here? Guys? I’m not dead yet. I’d prefer to be dead! Guys?”</p><p>Dean felt a hand grab his pants. He pulled free from the grip and turned around. Looking down, Chuck was lying on the ground. “Killing people – that’s who you are. But that’s not <em>us </em>,” he said, gesturing at Sam, Cas and Jack.</p><p>Chuck’s desperate face was in utter confusion. “What kind of an ending is <em>this</em>?”</p><p>“It's an ending where you're just like <em>all </em>the humans you forgot about,” Sam answered, only bothering to turn his body halfway to look at Chuck. “You can keep the book.”</p><p>Sensing that the Winchesters wouldn’t show empathy, Chuck tried his luck with his son and grandson. “Castiel? Jack? Are you just gonna abandon me here? We’re family, <em>right</em>?”</p><p>“We weren’t family five minutes ago,” Jack said. “You tried to kill me. You killed your own son. You’ve killed, or tried to kill, every single one of us. You call that family?”</p><p>“N-n-no, no, I didn’t– I-I– I didn’t try to–”</p><p>“I’m gonna leave you with some words of wisdom,” Dean interrupted, not feeling sorry at all. “Family doesn’t end in blood, but it doesn’t start there either.” He looked straight at Chuck and tapped his fingers to his head. “Makes you think, huh? Consider that my <em>gift </em>to you.”</p><p>Chuck watched in disbelief as four backs walked away. How did this happen? How could things have gone so wrong? In an instant, he’d gone from being on top of the world to rock bottom. “N-no. Guys, no. <em>No</em>. You can’t leave me here. Guys?” Chuck yelled in desperation as the four figures started walking away. But no one heard him, no one obeyed him, and nothing happened. The universe continued existing, oblivious to what had occurred. To a being, defined by eternal power, helplessness was the worst punishment of them all.</p><p>The sound of an engine was heard. The tyres against the gravel road echoed in the silence as one black Impala, containing four individuals, drove away. It left behind the former all-mighty, bathing in the dust from the road. From now on, the future would be unscripted. Every action would be true to itself, and every human would tread their own path in life.</p><p>A species, once created to obey, was set free. An entity, forever destined to rule, was put out. He who once was the commander of worlds, the center of attention, the ruler of life, had now been reduced to a helpless man. He had become what he once set out to destroy.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so, I'm finished with s15e19. I tried to make this a fusion of canon and my own ideas, but I'm not sure if the later chapters were boring for you guys to read. I hope not :) But next chapter should be more… interesting (it's already uploaded, so you can read it right now!! :D)</p><p>Also, Cettia commented on chapter 4, suggesting that I didn’t make Michael turn on them. Unfortunately I’d already based a lot of my upcoming dialogues around the canon-compliant Michael. Their idea probably would’ve been more interesting – it just never crossed my mind. And this is why I love the spn fandom. Everyone has such great ideas! :)</p><p>Alright, so next chapter I'm really excited, but very nervous, to share with you guys. I really hope you'll like it.</p><p>Thank you for reading &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Now I See</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>BEFORE READING: as I uploaded two chapters at once – make sure you read chapter 6 first! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean was driving down the road, taking them back to the bunker. The perpetual sound of tyres against asphalt was familiar to his ears, and would be accompanying them for yet some time. Jack had healed all their scratches and broken bones, but the phantom pain still resided within him. “How’s that power of yours going?” he asked the kid in the back seat.</p><p>“I’m… getting there,” Jack answered with a concentrated frown. “This new power is very… different. I’m experimenting.” As he talked, a car – complete with driver and all – appeared in the oncoming lane.</p><p>Dean jumped in surprise and almost lost control of the Impala. “<em>Woah</em>, what the… Jack? Did you do that?”</p><p>“Sorry,” Jack said. “I didn’t mean for it to appear here.”</p><p>Jack was now technically God. But apparently, eating Chuck’s power wasn’t just like installing a plugin. With the power came the task of acclimatisation. It came with the requirement of skill, and the learning curve was steep. As of now, Jack had estimated about half of the world being back to normal. This half included Eileen, which was why Dean’s right ear was filled with the quiet voice of Sam chatting away with his girl, completely lost in his own little world.</p><p>When Dean glanced at his brother, he could see the look of peace and the smile of relief. He knew he should feel the same, but he didn’t. He felt a disproportionate amount of <em> nothing </em> considering what they’d just achieved. The initial adrenaline-based triumph had died down, and with it the euphoria. Now, defeating Chuck just felt like another selfless act, done to save humanity. “Any plans for Earth after you’ve fully restored it?” he asked and looked at Jack in the rear-view mirror.</p><p>“I have some plans for both Heaven and Earth,” Jack said. He thought for a while, trying to find the right words. “Nobody should need to pray or sacrifice to me anymore,” he said at last. “Chuck put himself in the story – that was his mistake. I will always be present, always make sure Heaven and Earth are running smoothly, but I won't be hands on. The answers won’t be in me, they’ll be in each and every one of you. As long as everyone believe in their own goodness, their actions cannot be blamed.”</p><p>Dean glanced in the mirror again, seeing Cas stare out of the window. “What are your chances of controlling the Empty?” he asked Jack, and saw Cas turn his head around in surprise.</p><p>Jack frowned and looked at Dean questioningly from the backseat. It seemed like he understood the meaning behind that question, but was confused as to how the other man knew. Then he shook his head slowly. “My powers don’t reach that far. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Dean just stayed quiet and continued driving. Cas slowly turned back to observing the world pass by outside the window.</p><p>Dean pictured his future, either living his life and ignoring Cas, or acknowledging Cas but losing him to the Empty, and neither sat right. He should feel freedom, but he didn’t, because the one thing he wanted to do, he couldn’t allow himself to. Dean had always thought that God bereft him of happiness, but he’d over the past days come to realise that he’d been wrong. For him, happiness had never really been about Chuck’s head on a plate. It was something else. Something that he was reluctant to accept, because it stood against everything he believed in and every principle he’d lived by. This new realization put feelings before facts, desire before dismissal, and loving before living. It was a concept foreign yet familiar, and ever since Lucifer’s surprise visit, Dean’s had this weird feeling in his stomach. It was something he’d tried to push away but ultimately knew he’d have to face. The truth was inevitable, and the consequences following were even harder to accept.</p><p>As a beautiful landscape unraveled before their eyes, Dean’s mind finally came to terms with what his heart had accepted years ago. This was it. This was the place to do it, and it couldn’t get more perfect. Dean didn’t believe in destiny – never had – but he believed that this was how his life was supposed to be, and he was ready to embrace it. He slowed down and pulled the car to the side of the road, onto a patch of grass.</p><p>Sam looked up from his phone. “Dean? What are we doing?” he mouthed.</p><p>“Taking a break,” Dean said and killed the engine. He stepped out of the car, throat tightening at the thought of what would happen. The sounds of the remaining car doors opening and closing were distant in time and space as his mind worked at full speed.</p><p>The sun was spreading its last portion of warmth for the day, and the fresh evening air gently wrapped them in its motions. “Look at this world,” Dean said and gestured at what lay before them. The trees swayed lightly in the evening breeze, and above it the sun was hovering like a glowing orb. The last sun rays filtered through the clouds, casting a golden hue that contrasted the pinkish sky and the silhouetted greyish mountains. “To know that we helped save all of humanity, all of <em> this </em>…” He looked at the landscape extending into the vanishing point. “It makes me feel like our fight wasn’t for nothing. It makes our lives all worth it.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Sam sighed in satisfaction. His eyes glittered in the light. “I mean, we’ve lost hope more times than we can remember. I never thought we’d finally make it. Isn’t it amazing that we’re here?”</p><p>“It is.” Dean smiled, convincing his brain to be happy despite his inside being hollow. “How’s Eileen doing? She okay?” he asked Sam when he heard Cas and Jack start a conversation.</p><p>“Yeah.” Sam could barely contain his joy. “She doesn’t seem to remember what happened, but she’s excited to see us again.”</p><p>“You think she’s the one?” Dean averted the gaze from the breath-taking landscape and looked at his brother. He needed to be sure. </p><p>Sam smiled and blushed a little. “Yeah, I think so.”</p><p>“Good.” Dean found himself smiling for real this time. “I’m glad. She’s kind, smart, beautiful, <em> and </em> caring? Man, you really hit the jackpot.”</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t even know how that happened.” Sam huffed. “I got lucky.” He made a pause, hesitating for a second. “But you know, I won’t be truly satisfied until the day you find your Eileen.”</p><p>“Sam, that’s… uhh…” Dean trailed off, not knowing what to say. He glanced sideways at Cas, who was quietly talking to Jack, and wondered how he should break the news. His Eileen stood about five feet from him, clad in a trenchcoat and fully unaware of what was about to go down.</p><p>Dean closed his eyes and allowed the cool air to fill his lungs as he slowly inhaled. He cleared his mind and focused on the facts. Chuck was gone, the world Jack’s to run, and his little brother had found a great woman willing to spend her life with him. The future was safe in every possible way. No more games, no more living for the entertainment of God. It was just humanity in a balanced world. Dean shakily exhaled as he made his decision. “Sam. I think this is it.”</p><p>“This is what?”</p><p>“I think this is where my story ends.”</p><p>“What, you’re gonna quit hunting?” If half of Sam’s mind had been elsewhere before, Dean certainly had his full attention now.</p><p>“No, uhh…” Dean cleared his throat with a sombre expression on his face. He felt his heartbeat speed up, because this was real. This was happening. He suddenly turned and faced his brother. “I'm so proud of you, Sam. You know that?”</p><p>“Y- yeah?” Sam stared at Dean perplexedly. The fierceness in his brother’s voice took him by surprise. “Why are you saying this now?”</p><p>Dean felt his eyes water. “I’ve always looked up to you, because you have the brains, and you have the guts, and I don’t think I’ve ever told you that before.” </p><p>“Okay, what are you doing? You’re scaring me now.” Sam frowned, because Dean’s surge of emotions that made no sense.</p><p>"Don't be scared, Sammy.” Dean smiled. “You never were. Out of the two of us, you’ve always been the bravest. I remember wh–”</p><p>“Dean, why won’t you tell me what this is all about?” Sam raised his voice in frustration, drawing the attention of Cas and Jack.</p><p>Dean accidentally made eye contact with Cas who was looking at them in confusion. Caught off guard, he turned back to his brother. “Sam… uhh… y- you know– I know you’ve been wondering about what happened in the bunker between me and Cas.” He closed his eyes and willed his voice to steady and tears to retreat. Neither obeyed his wishes.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“A while back, Cas made a deal with the Empty–”</p><p>“<em>What</em>?”</p><p>“That is true,” Cas said, having heard this part of their conversation. “You two… weren’t supposed to know.”</p><p>“He did it to save…” For a second, Dean looked at Jack. “… to save us,” he simply said, because that was the truth. In saving Jack he’d saved them all.</p><p>“And what’s the catch?” Sam asked, dreading the answer, because<em> there always was a catch</em>.</p><p>“The Empty takes Cas once he finds happiness,” Dean said bluntly and bit the insides of his cheeks. “When we were fighting Death, we were losing. She was going to kill us. So Cas confessed to me his true happiness and summoned the Empty. It would take him, and it would take Billie.” He wiped away the first tear that made it down his face.</p><p>“And then?” Sam asked, looking back at his brother, stomach tightening with unease.</p><p>“I couldn’t let him go like that, Sammy. I took away his happiness so that the Empty wouldn’t take him.” Dean grabbed Sam by the shoulders with shaking hands, his fingers digging deep into the fabric. “But now we’ve done it. We’ve beaten Chuck, and the w-world is safely in Jack’s hands. So I can’t deny Cas that happiness anymore. I need to– I <em> want </em> to give it to him.”</p><p>Sam still wasn’t following, but his vision was blurry because Dean was crying and something was wrong. “What’s his happiness?”</p><p>Dean smiled, allowing tears to freely fall from his eyes when he held Sam’s gaze. “It’s me.” The salty liquid blocked the light, dimming visions and distorting shapes. Despite that, Dean kept his gaze steady. He could see his brother’s mind working it out, putting it all together, and he saw the exact moment everything fell into place.</p><p> </p><p>Oh…</p><p> </p><p>Oh.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sam looked at Dean, tears now rolling down his face as well. He tried to smile despite wanting to scream, tried to stand strong despite insides collapsing. This wasn’t happening – this <em> couldn’t </em> be happening. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. They were supposed to be free, to live their lives together. They were supposed to explore the world and enjoy life. Sam couldn’t wrap his brain around any of it, because it couldn’t be true. A cascade of emotions whirled through him, some completely foreign. “N-n-no, no, I– I don’t… Don’t go,” he whispered, trying not to fall apart.</p><p>“I'm gonna be with you,” Dean whispered. He put a hand where Sam’s heart was pounding. “Right here. Every day.”</p><p>For a moment, Sam just stood there and desperately looked at his brother, not knowing what to feel or how to react. But then he felt anger rise within. Dean couldn’t do this. He wasn’t allowed to do this, because this wasn’t who they were. It was selfish of Dean, it was unfair to Sam, it made Sam feel cheated, and it absolutely couldn’t… make more sense.</p><p>The second wave of realisation hit. A sudden sorrow threatened to drown Sam, leaving him gasping for air. The tension, the awkwardness, Cas’ apathetic sadness, Lucifer’s snarky comments – <em> everything </em> made sense now. It made <em> perfect </em> sense, and the worst part was that he understood. That’s probably why he’d felt anger in the first place – he was angry with himself, because he couldn’t even object. What was there really to say? He loved his brother. He needed his brother. But he also wanted his brother to be happy. Would it be fair to let Dean live in a world, free but void of happiness? When Dean laughed, it wasn’t out of joy. Whenever Dean smiled, there was always something missing. There was a type of contentment lacking in Dean’s life that no brotherly love could ever provide.</p><p>But Sam couldn’t accept that. He wasn’t ready to accept a world without Dean. Dean was his idol, his rock, his biggest fan. Dean was his <em> big brother</em>. “Dean, I don’t want you to go,” Sam whispered, blinking away his tears, and leaning into Dean’s hand placed above his heart.</p><p>Dean shook his head slowly. His expression was of genuine pain. "I'm sorry, Sam. I'm so sor–"</p><p>“But I’m gonna <em> let you</em>, okay?” Sam smiled, lips quivering violently. He nodded. “I’m gonna let you go, because I love you, Dean. I want you to smile. It’s b-been a long time since you smiled.”</p><p>The look of relief on Dean’s face almost made it worth the unbearable pain ripping his heart in two. “Sammy,” Dean said, “I want you to have a good life, okay? Live a good life, a happy life, and long life. Live the life you’ve always wanted. Cherish every moment with Eileen. Love her, respect her, take care of her, and give her my best.”</p><p>Sam just nodded and forced himself to smile through tears. In a sudden motion, he wrapped his arms around his brother, holding Dean tightly as sobs took over. He didn't make a goodbye speech – he <em>couldn't</em> make a goodbye speech. But he also didn't <em>need</em> to, because everything he wanted to say was conveyed in that one hug. His big brother could always interpret his actions. He could always hear the words unspoken.</p><p> </p><p>Dean hugged his brother tightly. He made sure to remember every second of it. Sam’s whole body was shaking, but so was his own. “This isn’t me choosing between you and Cas, you hear that?” Dean whispered into Sam’s ear. He could hear Cas say something in the background, but the words never reached his ears. In that moment, all he heard was his brother stifle the pain, trying to be brave. All he could remember was the look of devastation in Sam’s eyes.</p><p>“I know,” Sam whispered back.</p><p>“This is because you’ve always been s-stronger than me. You always fought for your own path in life. I-I don’t know how you do that, but I know you can do it this time too.” Dean slowly exhaled as he tightened the hug. His tears soaked through Sam’s jacket. “I love you <em> so much</em>, my baby brother.” For a long time, his arms wouldn’t move. Dean didn’t want to let go, because once he did, it would be over. He wondered why life was so unfair. Why the bad hands were repeatedly dealt to them. This time it wasn’t God, yet the universe had forced upon him a crossroad with no return. </p><p>Dean inhaled. He took in Sam’s warmth, his smell, his height, his strength – everything his senses could pick up on were stored in his memories. In the end, he forced himself to let go. He forced himself to let go of the hug so he could take one final look at his brother. Meeting Sam’s eyes, Dean smiled in that reassuring way he’d always done when they were kids. He smiled in a way that had always given Sam comfort.</p><p>“S-so, this is a goodbye,” Sam said in between hiccups, his body having no energy left.</p><p>“No, Sammy. This is a '<em>s</em><em>ee you later</em>’.” Dean put his hand on his brother’s neck and studied him closely. He memorised every inch of Sam’s face, because he would never see it again. His little brother had been with him his entire life. But now they parted ways.</p><p> </p><p>When Dean turned around, Cas was staring at him in disbelief. “Dean, <em> don’t</em>,” Cas said warningly, his lips tightened into a thin line.</p><p>Dean only smiled, averting his eyes. He resisted to look at Cas, because he had one more thing to do – one more apology to make, and one more favour to ask. "Jack… Thank you for everything,” he said, focusing his attention on Jack instead. “I haven’t always been good to you–”</p><p>“Dean–”</p><p>“But I know that you are good.” Dean put his hand on Jack’s shoulder, making sure the kid knew the truth. “You take care of this earth, and you take care of my brother, okay?"</p><p>Jack’s innocent eyes were full of emotions. At the same time, his gaze bore into Dean’s, holding an intensity rivalling Cas’. "I promise, Dean," he said in that always factual voice of his.</p><p>“Thank you,” Dean whispered and smiled. He sighed in relief and removed his hand. Slowly, he turned around, finally facing Cas.</p><p>"Dean, don't do this,” Cas tried again, his eyes not any drier than Dean’s.</p><p>Dean wiped his face with his hand and ignored the warning. "Cas, we've been through a lot together, you and I. First time we met, I <em> stabbed </em> you." He smiled at the memory. "But I’ve changed since then, and so have you. Back when you told me that you…" When his voice broke, he pretended to clear his throat. “I took too much for granted. I've always assumed there would be a tomorrow. But when the Empty came, I realised that you’d be gone. I– I thought that if I could take away your happiness quick enough, the Empty would disappear. Maybe that one selfish act could buy me enough time to tell you all that you deserve to hear–" Dean choked on his last words, despite his best efforts. </p><p>"Dean, it's okay, you don't have to apologise. I forgive you,” Cas close to whispered. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”</p><p>“I won’t regret this, Cas, because damn it you are my tomorrow – can’t you see that? You’ve given me so much, and it would be unfair of me to not return the favour.” Dean carefully stepped forward. He lifted his arm and cupped Cas’ face, just the way Cas had done to him. Here it goes. “You thought I wouldn't love you back?” he whispered, feeling tears drip from his chin and fall to the ground. “I would trade anything for a moment of happiness with you, Cas.”</p><p>“Dean, what are you doing?” With the decreased space between them, Cas was whispering too, voice trembling.</p><p>“I’m making it right,” Dean simply answered.</p><p>“Stop it. I can’t let you do this. I can't let you give up all that you've fought for."</p><p>“I’m not. My whole life, I’ve seen through a lens clouded by darkness." At this point Dean’s voice broke again. "But you’ve cleared my sight.”</p><p>“Dean, you need to stop this." The words were just muscle memory, and Cas' eyes held the real message. The eyes told another story – a story of concocted happiness, fear, confusion, and forbidden hopefulness. "I can’t fight it for much longer.”</p><p>Cas' expression was the same as back in the bunker, and Dean suddenly realised the tears hadn’t been out of sadness but rather out of happiness. Cas had been happy to die for someone he loved. “Then don’t,” Dean whispered. Despite his own face being full of them, he wiped the tears away from Cas’ face. In the background, he saw the Empty circling a tree, creeping towards them, ready to take them both. But it was okay. Dean smiled as content filled him. This was how his story ended. It felt right. "Then don't… Don't fight it."</p><p>Dean leaned forwards until his lips rested beside Cas’ cheek. He kept it there, knowing that Cas could feel his warmth. He kept it there to rid Cas of any doubt of what they were. He kept it there and let every exhale wash over his angel as the Empty started circling their feet.</p><p>And at last, Dean Winchester whispered into Castiel’s ear.</p><p>“<em>Now I see</em>.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So that's the chapter. I have a feeling you either love me or hate me right now, and I really hope it's not the latter.</p><p>I've really been looking forward to uploading this chapter, because this was one of the first chapters that I drafted. I came up with the first two chapters because of this idea. Everything I've written has been building up to this one moment. I don't know if I managed to make this as impactful as I'd hoped, but I did my best.</p><p>I'm also really nervous for the reactions. As I was about to upload this, I started second-guessing myself, and I almost didn't upload today. Like, am I crazy for writing an ending like this? Did I make it worse than the actual finale? I don't know. I really hope not.</p><p>And in case you hate me now, there will be a last chapter (which I'm also really looking forward to upload). Hopefully it can change your minds ;)</p><p>Thank you so much for reading! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Last chapter, here we go.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dean slowly came to his senses. He shifted a bit, trying to find a more comfortable position. But even though his body lay on a bed of hard objects, his head was placed on something soft and warm. Curious to find out more, Dean opened his eyes just a crack and squinted, mind groggy like he’d been asleep for an eternity. A familiar tan fabric was there to greet him. <em> Cas? </em></p><p>Suddenly, all the memories came back to Dean – defeating Chuck, his goodbye speech to Sam, his apology to Jack, and finally, his confession to Cas. He’d seen the Empty swallow them, he’d felt himself being swept away. When darkness covered his sight, his consciousness was gone. So why was he awake? In an instant Dean sat up and looked around in confusion, the sleepiness all gone. "What the… <em>hell</em>?”</p><p>They had been lying down, Dean’s head on Cas’ shoulder, tightly pressed together in the middle of the most beautiful nature ever beheld by human eyes. Tall, majestic pine trees that constituted a forest towered above them, their branches gilded by the sunlight shining through. The air was fresh, almost sweet in smell. Fallen pine cones and needles covered the ground in patches of brown amongst green, thriving vegetation. Birds were skillfully flying between treetops, and once in a while, insects danced in the air.</p><p>Dean felt butterflies in his stomach when he looked down at Cas, peacefully sleeping on the ground. The chest beneath the trench coat was periodically rising and falling, perfectly in sync with the soft sounds of steady breathing. It was such a rare sight to see Cas with closed eyes that Dean almost didn’t wake him up. But the place they were in was too perfect to be true. It felt like nature was lulling them into a false sense of security. Where the hell were they?</p><p>Dean gently shook the shoulder he’d been lying on. “Cas,” he said. “Cas, wake up.”</p><p>He got no reaction.</p><p>“Cas, I don’t know where we are.”</p><p>“Mhmm…” Cas mumbled and stirred in his sleep.</p><p>“Cas,” Dean tried again. “Come on, wake up.”</p><p>Very slowly, Cas opened his eyes and stared at Dean through half-lidded, sleepy eyes. “Wh– What?” he asked in confusion.</p><p>“Cas, we’re not in the Empty.” Because unless the Empty had gotten a makeover, this wasn’t it.</p><p>That statement caught his attention, and Cas was sitting up in no time, almost crashing into Dean. He observed their surroundings with wide eyes, quickly scanning every tree and plant, trying to find clues.</p><p>With them both sitting up, their heads ended up mere inches from each other. Dean could see Cas absent-mindedly rub his shoulder, completely unaware of why it felt sore. He forced himself to stay still and stay calm. Maybe if he didn't freak out, Cas wouldn't notice what an intimate situation they were in. Maybe it could divert him from the fact that they were in the middle of an old, <em> beautiful </em> forest – probably one of the most romantic places in the universe – sitting close enough to share oxygen molecules. But when Cas decided to turn his head around, it was all in vain. Green met blue as Dean found himself staring into a pair of eyes. He swallowed. Those ocean blue eyes were his biggest weakness, the key to his heart and soul. They held an entire world within, and he could spend hours exploring, always finding new things, never getting bored. Dean wondered if their joint colour would be turquoise. It was a nice colour.</p><p>“Dean…” Cas whispered, only making things impossibly worse.</p><p>Dean felt his heart flutter – it did that because Cas was the only one who could say his name and give it such depth. Whenever his name was said, that one syllable came with a whole monologue attached. “Yes, Cas?” Dean licked his lips, because they were dry. He could still feel their legs against each other, the heat washing away everything dark and cold. </p><p>“Where… are we then?” Cas asked, and Dean could feel every breath flow along his skin.</p><p>“I… don’t know.” Dean couldn’t do it anymore. He cleared his throat and slowly stood up, afraid that he’d do something <em> stupid </em> and ruin everything if he remained sitting. </p><p>It was funny what Cas managed to do to his confidence by simply existing. Dean’s felt attraction before – enough times to make him lose count and then some. He’d always been confident in making first moves, yet when it came to Cas, he second-guessed himself in every way possible. Somehow, this was different. What they had was important, and Dean was scared to mess it up. Did Cas remember any of it? Have his feelings changed? They’d undeniably just had a weird moment, but was that just lack of people skills or did they still have something? All those questions were whirling through his mind, but Dean didn’t know how to voice any of them. “You, uhh, you sense anything?” he asked instead.</p><p>Cas got on his feet as well, and looked around some more. “This is good. This is someplace <em> good</em>. I sense no evil. It feels like… Heaven.”</p><p>“<em>Heaven</em>? How’s that possible?” Dean asked sceptically. It certainly would explain the underlying sense of calmness and peace that was hard to explain and almost uncanny, but that was also the <em> only </em> thing it explained. “How did we get here? Were we never in the Empty?”</p><p>“I don’t know for how long, but we were definitely in the Empty.”</p><p>“How do you know that?”</p><p>“I…" Cas frowned, recalling what happened. “I think I failed to fall asleep again. I remember the Empty forcing me to sleep. I think I annoyed it.”</p><p>Dean stared incredulously at the angel standing in front of him. Leave it to Cas to twice in a row casually annoy the most ancient entity in existence. “What, so the Empty just sent us straight to something that’s ‘maybe Heaven’? Doesn't sound right.”</p><p>“I’m not sure if this <em> is </em> Heaven. It feels different. But it’s… <em> Heaven-like</em>.”</p><p>“Well, that helps…” Dean looked around. “<em>If </em> this is Heaven, do you think it was Jack who pulled us out of the Empty?”</p><p>“The Empty is its own being, just like God. It would be… unlikely,” Cas speculated. “But a nephilim has never had such powers before. It’s a possibility.”</p><p>Dean couldn’t think of anything else to say, so when Cas stopped speaking, the buffer was gone. The world became quiet again. Suddenly it was just the two of them, intently staring at each other. He awkwardly broke eye contact and put his hands in his pockets. This <em> so </em> wasn’t the way things were supposed to end.</p><p>The carefully crafted last confession was still fresh in Dean’s memory. It held the truest things to ever come out of his mouth. Usually, he wasn’t an outwardly affectionate person – opening his heart made him feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. That speech, however, had been the one exception, because Cas was the one exception in his life. And now that it was out in the open, he didn’t know how to follow up on the things he’d said.</p><p>“S-so… You–” Dean cleared his throat, feeling whatever the opposites of calm and smooth were. “What do you remember?”</p><p>“Of our time in the Empty?”</p><p>Dean shrugged nonchalantly, trying to sound like he wasn’t a five-year-old having his first crush. “Yeah. Or– or you know… just generally.”</p><p>For the first time, Cas averted his eyes. It was an uncharacteristic reaction for someone who’d unashamedly stared at Dean for so many years. He looked down and poked at a fallen pine cone with his foot. “I… I remember everything you said, if that’s what you’re wondering,” he answered at last, mumbling very quietly.</p><p>Dean’s heart almost skipped a beat. “A-and do you– do you… you know… Do you still…” He couldn’t even say the last words, because he was too nervous and embarrassed to ask. </p><p>Cas seemed to understand the unfinished question nonetheless. “We’re not on Earth anymore,” he answered, still not looking up. “What do <em> you </em> think?”</p><p>“Well, I–I thought that maybe– I don’t know, maybe our time in the Empty… made you forget?” It was illogical. Dean knew it even before he said it. Still, the doubt was there.</p><p>Cas shook his head. “Nothing can make me forget you, Dean.”</p><p>So that settled it, then. Both of them clearly remembered what had happened, but neither really knew how to acknowledge it. Dean was at a loss for what to do. Sometimes Cas said these simplistic things that went straight to his heart and rendered him speechless. What was he supposed to answer? What was he supposed to do? Both literally and figuratively – where did they go from here?</p><p>Cas made no move other than to resume his staring. Dean couldn’t for the life of him understand how someone could do that without feeling awkward.</p><p>“Alright,” Dean said in the end, because even if he wasn’t brave enough to go with his heart, he could at least solve the problems in his mind. “We need to find a way out of here. Let’s go.”</p><p>“Where?” Cas asked.</p><p>“I don’t know. Just choose a direction and go for it. It’s the two of us in a place that’s not the Empty – what could go wrong? I mean, eventually we’ll come out.” Dean paused. <em> Hmm</em>. “Out of the forest,” he tried to clarify, only making things worse. Resigned, he turned around and started walking before more stupid things came out of his mouth.</p><p>"Dean, wait," Cas said, making Dean turn back again. "Back there… Which of it was real?"</p><p>"You don’t know?” Dean asked, surprised that his words might not have had the same credibility he thought they'd had – in his mind, the intentions had always been clear.</p><p>“I need to be sure, Dean.” Cas’ fingers fiddled with a button on his trench coat. “You mean too much to me for there to be any doubt. Both were… very convincing.”</p><p>That was a fair point. Dean was no actor, but with the Empty at their heels and Death on a sole mission of extermination, anything less than an Oscar-worthy performance would’ve cost them their lives. His pulse quickened, mouth getting dry, because <em> holy crap</em>. After dancing around the subject, Cas was crashing head-first into it. And if Dean's harsh words had done more damage than his confession had repaired, he promised himself to spend the rest of an eternity making it right.</p><p>“Well…” Dean slowly walked towards Cas, closing the distance between them – that eternity started <em> now</em>. He came to a halt when he couldn’t get any closer, and gently interlaced their fingers. For how nervous he’d been before, his hands were surprisingly steady, all movements happening naturally. Very slowly, carefully observing Cas’ every reaction, Dean dipped his head down until their foreheads met. He heard Cas inhale sharply, but apart from that, it was quiet. He simply closed his eyes, letting his actions speak for themselves. </p><p>“Umm… Dean?" Cas whispered eventually, voice slightly unsteady. "What are we doing?”</p><p>“Nothing. Just having a conversation,” Dean replied. He could feel Cas' every breath, every shudder, and every heartbeat. “I'm just talking… really close to your… face…"</p><p>“In that case…” Cas’ fingers tightened their hold on Dean’s. “Please keep talking.”</p><p>“Are you sure now?" Dean asked, feeling his heart beating quickly his chest.</p><p>Cas opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the right answer. “Make me really sure,” he whispered in the end.</p><p>Dean smiled. The feeling of butterflies intensified. He untangled one of his hands, put his arm around Cas’ waist, and tenderly pulled his angel closer until their lips touched. Whatever distance remaining was now completely gone. It was almost symbolic – more than ten years of personal space finally thrown out the window.</p><p>Cas’ lips were soft and full and sweet. It was a hidden realm that Dean by accident had stumbled upon, but one he would never want to leave ever again. “How about now?” he mumbled, sending vibrations coursing through both of their bodies. This wasn’t a kiss. They were just… <em> talking</em>.</p><p>“I’m sure,” Cas whispered back. “Dean, you know you didn’t have to give up your–”</p><p>“Shhh…” Dean interrupted as Cas’ lips moved against his. He knew he didn’t have to. But he chose to. He <em> wanted </em> to. He’d rather spend an eternity in the Empty with Cas than live on Earth alone. “Listen.”</p><p>A bird chirped far away. Insects were buzzing around them. A light breeze travelled through the forest. Otherwise there was complete silence.</p><p>“Listen for what?” Cas asked softly.</p><p>“For this.” Dean made sure every inch of him touched every inch of Cas. He made sure his mind was calm and voice steady, leaving no doubt as to his following words. And with the sounds of nature surrounding them, Dean finally said it out loud. “I love you.”</p><p>The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. The world was now complete, the universe back on track. A whole new dimension unraveled before Dean's mind. Cas had widened his horizon and heightened his senses. He felt his heart beating rapidly. He felt blood coursing through his veins. He felt Cas’ warm breaths tickling his skin, the way their fingers were entwined, and the gentle pressure of their lips resting against each other. </p><p>"Don’t cry,” Dean whispered when something wet touched his face.</p><p>“I’m just happy,” Cas whispered back.</p><p>Dean couldn’t argue with that. “Me too.”</p><p>The earth was spinning, a thousand miles per hour. Time was ticking, one second at a time. But on a very specific spot, located in a forest of another dimension, everything stood still. In this place, nothing else mattered. It was just Dean and Cas, finally together. Their bond drove chills away, joining bodies and warming souls. It gave life and energy and a whole new meaning to existence. </p><p>Dean felt Cas stir after a long time of their breathing being the only movements. “No, don’t go,” he whispered, content with standing there forever.</p><p>“Dean, I hear something.”</p><p>“What?” Dean hadn’t heard anything, and he didn’t need to. There was nothing more he needed in life.</p><p>“I think we’re close to a road,” Cas murmured against Dean’s lips. “I hear a car.”</p><p>“I don’t hear anything,” Dean answered, and that wasn’t a lie so he could spend more time standing there with Cas – there really hadn’t been a sound.</p><p>But Cas seemed to be certain of his auditory system. When his arms released their tight grip, Dean reluctantly let go. He suddenly felt cold without the warmth against his body.</p><p>"I think I can locate the sound. We should go," Cas said, hands lingering on Dean’s arms for a second. </p><p>His mind protested, but Dean followed when Cas started walking. And despite missing the contact, the trek soon became quite enjoyable. Now, Dean's eyes were able to take up what his body had felt. </p><p>Cas was beautiful, and breathtakingly so, even with his hair sticking up in all directions and coat being all wrinkly. Dean had never noticed it before, and he wondered how blind he must have been. Who didn’t see perfection when it was put in front of their eyes? Because Cas equalled perfection, and this absolutely wasn’t Dean being biased – it was a universally accepted fact. There wasn't a single thing about Cas that wasn’t perfect. Not a flaw could be found anywhere from his gentle voice to his gorgeous features to the movements of his body as he graciously walked through the forest. </p><p>After a while, Dean stopped in his tracks, causing Cas to turn around a few steps later.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Cas asked.</p><p>“Nothing. Come here for a second.” Dean gestured with his hand.</p><p>Cas didn’t question it, and took a step forward. “Yes, Dean?”</p><p>Dean didn't offer an explanation. He just brought up a hand to card through Cas’ hair with his fingers – just enough so it wouldn’t point everywhere. This definitely wasn't an excuse for him to touch Cas. Dean also flattened the lapels of the trench coat, smoothing them out with great care. But he left the slightly crooked tie as it was – that's how it had been the first time they met.</p><p>Cas swallowed. “Th-the sound came from that direction,” he offered and gestured with his hand.</p><p>“Good.” Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders. “Remember that for later.”</p><p>Cas frowned. “For… later?”</p><p>“Yes. We’re taking a break.”</p><p>“But Dean, we’ve barely–”</p><p>“I know.” Dean’s hands went directly from the trench coat to wrapping his arms around Cas. He couldn’t get enough of his very own angel.<em> Just one more</em>, he promised himself. Just this one hug without time limit. Then they’d go find their way out of here.</p><p>“I take it back. We need more breaks,” Cas mumbled into Dean’s shoulder.</p><p>Dean smiled so much his mouth hurt. He was so happy he could cry. Finally, <em> finally</em>, this was happening. “All this time I could’ve had you, but I never reached for you,” he whispered, because he also felt stupid. For years, a part of him had been missing – a part that had been there all along. If only he’d asked for it…</p><p>“It’s okay. You have me now,” Cas whispered back, tightening his arms around his human. “I’m yours, Dean.”</p><p>“You’re mine…” The words felt right. Dean smiled and pressed Cas impossibly closer to him. They fit perfectly together, the shapes of their bodies like made for each other. He burrowed his head into the crook of Cas’ neck and breathed in that familiar scent. Despite not knowing exactly where they were, it felt just right. This was where he belonged. This was where <em> they </em> belonged. Maybe they were in Heaven, maybe they weren’t – it didn't really matter. Dean could be in Hell for all he cared, as long as he had his angel in his arms.</p><p>“We really should go,” Cas whispered in the end, half-heartedly attempting to be rational, but making no move to end the hug.</p><p>“Okay,” Dean whispered back, arms remaining tightly wrapped around Cas.</p><p> </p><p>Apparently, Dean and Cas had been very close to the end of the forest. Within a few minutes of walking, their surroundings became noticeably brighter, and at last, there were signs of civilisation.</p><p>A patch of land stretched before them with a roadhouse placed in the centre. An old, rusty pickup-truck was parked in front of it. As they got closer, something else could be seen poking out from behind the truck. Something shiny and familiar and–</p><p>“<em>Baby</em>!” Dean exclaimed, rushing over to his beloved car. “What are you doing here?” He turned around, eyes sparkling. ”Cas, look. Baby’s here.”</p><p>“Yes. I see that,” Cas said and calmly walked up to the car.</p><p>“Oh, I’ve missed you <em> so </em> much,” Dean cooed and ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the Impala. “I bet you’ve missed me too.”</p><p>Cas frowned. Even though he knew Dean loved his car, this was bordering on disturbing behaviour. “Dean, you’re talking to a <em> car</em>.”</p><p>Dean looked up and winked at Cas. “Don’t get jealous. You know Baby and I are just–”</p><p>“I'm not jealous," Cas protested. The way Dean had held him had vanished all his doubts.</p><p>"Relax, I'm just ki– kidding…" Dean trailed off, because Cas was staring at him again. He'd come to realise that Cas had a very specific set of expressions reserved only for him, and he was staring at one of them right now. "What?" </p><p>"It suits you," Cas said like it was self-explanatory.</p><p>"The car?" In the context of what they'd been talking about, Dean could only assume Cas was talking about the Impala.</p><p>"No, the smile," Cas clarified.</p><p>That made Dean blush. Everytime Cas said something so innocent and unbearably sweet, it made him fall in love all over again. He wondered if Cas even knew what it did to his brain. "Well, you’ve given me a reason to–” </p><p>“<em>Dean</em>? <em>Cas</em>?”</p><p>Dean heard an old, gruff voice, familiar to his ears. He spun around, even before his mind had registered the end of his name, and proceeded to drop his jaw. A man had come out of the roadhouse, wearing a very familiar cap on top of a very familiar face. “<em>Bobby</em>?”</p><p>Dean closed his eyes, slapped his face, and opened his eyes again. Bobby was still there, and so was the Impala. “<em>Bobby</em>?” he repeated again, as if he’d forgotten how to speak.</p><p>“I’ll be damned…” Bobby slowly stepped out of the house. He tentatively stretched out a hand, as if not trusting his own eyes. But as soon as he came in physical contact with Dean’s arm, he pulled him in for a tight hug.</p><p>Shocked, Dean wrapped his arms around Bobby. He couldn’t believe it. Was this his birthday? Christmas? Did he win the lottery? Nothing good ever happened in his life, and now everything happened at once? Bobby had been there his whole life, in a way more than his own parents. He’d been Dean’s second father, and sometimes his <em> only </em> father. Seeing Bobby again after all these years felt surreal, because as far as he knew, Bobby was still being held in lockup. Dean drew the only logical conclusion there was. ”No, Cas, this can't be Heaven.”</p><p>"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Bobby protested and pulled away to frown at Dean.</p><p>"No, sorry, I didn't mean–”</p><p>Instead of waiting for an answer, Bobby had already turned to look at the man standing beside Dean. “What are <em> you </em> gawking at? Come here, son,” he said and pulled Cas in for a hug too.</p><p>Cas awkwardly reenacted what he’d seen Dean do, and Dean couldn’t help but laugh. There was something comical in hearing an Angel of the Lord being called ‘son’ by Bobby.</p><p>“What are you doing here, Bobby?" Dean asked when the awkwardness had stopped.</p><p>“I’m <em> dead</em>,” Bobby said. “This <em> is</em>, believe it or not, Heaven – you know, the place dead people go? The question is what <em> you’re</em>… <em> Oh</em>…” Realization seemed to hit him. “I hope you two are just here on one of them missions.”</p><p>“No mission,” Dean said, voice suddenly serious. “We’re here for life – or, well, the opposite of life, I guess.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“Uhh… long story,” Dean said and scratched the back of his head. “We kind of… saved Earth. It’s complicated. But Bobby, I thought you were in…”</p><p>“I was,” Bobby said. “But the kid brought me here. Jack, I believe was his name.”</p><p>Dean and Cas looked at each other and smiled. That sounded about right.</p><p>“Heaven is… <em> different</em>,” Cas said and looked around.</p><p>“Yeah, the kid made some changes here. This ain't just reliving your dreams anymore. Heaven is what it always should’ve been – everyone happy, being together in the same place.” </p><p>“So, what, this is like Earth on steroids?” Dean asked.</p><p>Bobby huffed. “Sure. Something like that.” He bent down and pulled up two bottles of beer from a cooler. Cas politely declined, but Dean gladly accepted it.</p><p>"Welcome home," Bobby said and held up his own beer. "To a new beginning."</p><p>"I'll drink to that.” Dean tapped his bottle against Bobby’s in a cheer. When withdrawing his arm, however, a thought struck him. “Wait a minute… You’re Bobby, like… <em> Bobby,</em> right?” he asked, ruining all the sentiment.</p><p>Confusion coated Bobby’s face. “Yes, you <em> idjit</em>. Who else am I supposed to be?” He gave Dean a once-over. "Is head trauma the reason you’re here?”</p><p>Dean shook his head and smiled. He hadn’t realised until now how much he’d missed this Bobby – the version who was sarcastic, sardonic, gruff, chronically unamused, and harsh on the outside but soft on the inside. “Never mind. As I said, long story.”</p><p>“What about Sam, then?” Bobby asked.</p><p>Dean swallowed, thinking about his last moments with his brother. Seeing what Jack had done with Heaven, he didn’t know if he should feel sad or happy that Sam wasn’t here. He wished his brother was by his side, but he also wanted to give him the chance to live life properly. “Sam’s not here,” he simply said.</p><p>“And, what, he’s fine with <em> this</em>? You sure he’s not gonna do something stupid?”</p><p>Dean looked at Cas and then back at Bobby. “He didn’t like it, but I think he understood.”</p><p>Bobby questioningly raised an eyebrow. “I think all three of you suffered severe head traumas.” He put the beer down. “Oh, by the way. That kid of yours left me a message, saying I’d understand it in due time. I assume you two probably have something to do with it.”</p><p>“What did he say?” Cas asked.</p><p>“<em>Infuriating the Empty made it easier for me to make a deal</em>,” Bobby cited, doing what Dean could only assume was his best Jack impression. “<em>The deal was its eternal sleep in exchange for your two friends</em>.” He looked dubious. “Does that mean anything to you?”</p><p>Dean laughed and nodded. It was a laugh of joy and wonder. “Yeah. It really does.” </p><p>“Let me guess – <em> long story</em>?”</p><p>“<em>Really </em> long story, and I’ll tell you all about it. But basically, it means Cas saved us.” Because of course that’s what had happened – his <em> boyfriend </em> just <em> had </em> to be special in every possible way. Dean flung an arm around Cas' neck and pulled him in for a kiss on the cheek. He could only smile more when the angel in his arms blushed violently. Dean thought the reddish colour suited him. It contrasted his otherwise stoic expression very nicely, and was beautiful combined with the ocean blue eyes. </p><p>"About damn time," Bobby muttered and rolled his eyes. “Ain't no need to tell me nothing.”</p><p>"Huh?" Dean said and turned his head. He'd been too lost looking at Cas – never had someone managed to rob his senses like this before.</p><p>"Never mind." Bobby took another swig of beer. "You boys are the two biggest idjits in the world, you know that, right?" </p><p>Anyone else would’ve been confused, but Dean knew what it meant. It meant ‘I’m happy for the both of you’, and coming from Bobby, he wouldn’t have wanted it to be said in any other way. “We know, Bobby. Thank you.”</p><p>“So…” Bobby looked between Dean and Cas. “What are you boys gonna do now?”</p><p>A genuine smile spread on Dean’s face and his insides bubbled with excitement. He wanted to visit his family and friends, wanted <em> Cas </em> to meet his family and friends. He wanted to see all of Heaven. Cas was finally home again, and this was where their new life started. This was the beginning of a life they’d been denied on Earth.</p><p>In that moment of happiness, Dean knew exactly what they were going to do. “I think we’re gonna go for a drive.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And so, the last chapter has come to an end. But the story continues. What do Dean and Cas do next? How does Sam continue his life? Does he hunt? Does he live the canon life? I'll leave it up to you guys to decide! :) For me, chapter is kind of two epilogues in one – the first is where Dean and Cas are finally together, and the second is with Bobby, giving more of a glance into their future.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this series, and I hope it could fix the things the actual show neglected. I had actually already decided on the ending before starting to write this fic, and as you can see, I kind of went for the canon ending, except… you know, Cas isn't forgotten. From now on, this is the official ending in my mind at least. ;)</p><p>Finally, big THANK YOU to everyone who's taken their time to read, leave kudos, and write encouraging comments. This fic ended up so much longer than I'd anticipated, and I'm almost a bit sad that it's over now. But it’s been a fantastic experience, from start to finish, and I couldn't have wished for better support. This has made me realise that I might be capable of writing decent stories after all ;) It also makes me want to write and share more of my work.<br/>As for the future, I might make a drawing illustrating this last chapter if I have time. If I do, I'll upload it. I might even finish my other spn fanfic and share it with you guys. Who knows?</p><p>But for now, thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you liked the story! &lt;3</p>
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